Miami, FL vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL spends 30% more per resident than Austin, TX: $28,195 against $21,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Miami spends 29.5% more per capita than Austin ($6,423/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,247 |
| Other | $1,399 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $634 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $1,837 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $865 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $3,264 |
| Other | $8,572 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.