Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Omaha, NE vs Arlington, TX

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

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

City A
Omaha, NE
Pop. 489,201
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Arlington, TX
Pop. 393,469
A
83/100
Budget Balance78
Debt Burden96
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity89
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Omaha
Arlington
Total Spending
$5.5B
$4.6B
Spending / Capita
$11,180
$11,769
Total Revenue
$13.2B
$23.8B
Revenue / Capita
$26,929
$60,454
Total Debt
$0
$233.8M
Debt / Capita
$0
$594
Population
489,201
393,469
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Omaha$0
Arlington$160
Highways & Roads
Omaha$319
Arlington$149
Parks & Recreation
Omaha$742
Arlington$1,352
Health
Omaha$456
Arlington$219

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

OmahaArlington
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)

OmahaArlington
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
A
Omaha, NE
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Arlington, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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