Oklahoma City, OK vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $18,074, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Oklahoma City, OK and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 47.7% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($16,478/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $763 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $2,847 |
| Other | $1,836 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $513 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $1,858 |
| Health | $5 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $122 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $129 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $0 |
| Other | $3,886 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.