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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Oklahoma City, OK vs Norman, OK

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Norman, OK outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $55,648 versus $18,074, a 208% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 42/100 (grade D) for Norman, OK — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Norman, OK carries the lighter load at $781 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 Norman, OK at $1,197.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Oklahoma City, OK and 8% in Norman, OK.

Summary

Norman spends 67.5% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($37,575/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Oklahoma City, OK
Pop. 681,088
B
65/100
Budget Balance80
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency97
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Norman, OK
Pop. 127,701
D
42/100
Budget Balance1
Debt Burden56
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Oklahoma City
Norman
Total Spending
$12.3B
$7.1B
Spending / Capita
$18,074
$55,648
Total Revenue
$23.9B
$5.1B
Revenue / Capita
$35,156
$40,091
Total Debt
$2.4B
$99.7M
Debt / Capita
$3,520
$781
Population
681,088
127,701
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Oklahoma City$513
Norman$258
Parks & Recreation
Oklahoma City$2,014
Norman$1,197
Health
Oklahoma City$5
Norman$49

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Oklahoma CityNorman
Sales Tax
$763
$383
Income Tax
$1,037
$2,695
Intergovernmental
$6,852
$3,093
Charges & Fees
$3,256
$2,061
Other
$1,836
$1,341

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Oklahoma CityNorman
Fire Protection
$513
$258
Public Welfare
$1,525
$2,391
Health
$5
$49
Hospitals
$2,044
$162
Parks & Recreation
$2,014
$1,197
Housing
$2,857
$2,662
Sewerage
$0
$139
Utilities
$4,523
$2,276
Interest on Debt
$707
$536
General Admin
$0
$42,647
Other
$3,886
$3,331
B
Oklahoma City, OK
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health
D
Norman, OK
Fiscal Health Score: 42/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.