New York, NY vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $9,085, a 1321% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in New York, NY at 14% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
New York spends 1321.2% more per capita than Las Vegas ($120,034/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $0 |
| Other | $3,593 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $45 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $705 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $332 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.