Oklahoma City, OK vs Tulsa, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $18,074 versus $5,250, a 244% 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 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. 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 Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 244.2% more per capita than Tulsa ($12,823/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)
| Sales Tax | $763 | $97 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $0 |
| Other | $1,836 | $53 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $628 |
| Fire Protection | $513 | $196 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $257 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $86 |
| Health | $5 | $762 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $154 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $350 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $27 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $41 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $0 |
| Other | $3,886 | $2,748 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.