Omaha, NE vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Arlington, TX and Omaha, NE spend within 5.3% of each other per resident — $11,769 versus $11,180 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Omaha, NE edges Arlington, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Omaha, NE reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Omaha, NE at $742 per resident and in Arlington, TX at $1,352.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Omaha, NE at 17% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 41%.
Summary
Arlington spends 5.0% more per capita than Omaha ($589/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $624 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,622 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,949 |
| Other | $4,672 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $149 |
| Public Welfare | $1,521 | $826 |
| Health | $456 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $742 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $3,045 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $141 |
| Utilities | $581 | $1,385 |
| Other | $4,516 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.