New York, NY vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $14,400, a 797% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in New York, NY at 14% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
New York spends 796.7% more per capita than Houston ($114,720/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $3,475 |
| Other | $3,593 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $175 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $533 |
| Health | $417 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $361 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $386 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $1,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.