Oklahoma City, OK vs Lawton, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK outspends Lawton, OK by a wide margin per resident — $18,074 versus $10,275, a 76% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lawton, OK edges Oklahoma City, OK on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Lawton, OK carries the lighter load at $147 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014 per resident and in Lawton, OK at $852.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Oklahoma City, OK and 100% in Lawton, OK.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 75.9% more per capita than Lawton ($7,798/person difference). Lawton, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $763 | $144 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $1,106 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $9,501 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $2,888 |
| Other | $1,836 | $2,336 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $513 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $29 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $452 |
| Health | $5 | $134 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $440 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $852 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $2,674 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $1,441 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $391 |
| Other | $3,886 | $3,736 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.