Plano, TX vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Plano, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $16,842, a 107% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Plano, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Plano, TX carries $663 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Plano, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,518 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Plano, TX at 20% of total revenue, whereas Dallas, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 22%.
Summary
Dallas spends 51.7% more per capita than Plano ($18,008/person difference). Plano, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $644 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $731 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,683 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,976 | $0 |
| Other | $3,004 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $125 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $201 |
| Education | $34 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $283 | $215 |
| Health | $463 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $194 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,518 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,356 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $145 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,137 | $833 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $6,268 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.