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

Philadelphia, PA vs Houston, TX

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

Summary

Philadelphia spends 290.8% more per capita than Houston ($41,872/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Philadelphia, PA
Pop. 1,593,208
D
45/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden53
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Houston, TX
Pop. 2,296,253
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Philadelphia
Houston
Total Spending
$89.7B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$56,272
$14,400
Total Revenue
$64.4B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$40,425
$55,600
Total Debt
$1.7B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$1,069
$863
Population
1,593,208
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Philadelphia$1,505
Houston$0
Fire Protection
Philadelphia$7,082
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Philadelphia$1,215
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia$593
Houston$361
Health
Philadelphia$229
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhiladelphiaHouston
Sales Tax
$107
$181
Income Tax
$8
$39
Intergovernmental
$6,288
$33
Charges & Fees
$2,790
$3,475
Other
$4,029
$3,960

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhiladelphiaHouston
Police
$1,505
$0
Fire Protection
$7,082
$295
Highways & Roads
$1,215
$175
Public Welfare
$1,456
$533
Health
$229
$210
Hospitals
$4,048
$511
Parks & Recreation
$593
$361
Housing
$4,902
$4,288
Sewerage
$325
$386
Utilities
$4,222
$1,339
Interest on Debt
$3
$0
Other
$30,692
$6,301
D
Philadelphia, PA
Fiscal Health Score: 45/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities