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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Portland, OR vs Houston, TX

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

Summary

Portland spends 64.4% more per capita than Houston ($9,275/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Portland, OR
Pop. 646,101
C
63/100
Budget Balance83
Debt Burden7
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency72
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
Portland
Houston
Total Spending
$15.3B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$23,675
$14,400
Total Revenue
$31.0B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$47,970
$55,600
Total Debt
$1.0B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$1,574
$863
Population
646,101
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Portland$1,700
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Portland$139
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Portland$2,477
Houston$361
Health
Portland$0
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandHouston
Sales Tax
$1,695
$181
Income Tax
$130
$39
Intergovernmental
$8,979
$33
Charges & Fees
$3,883
$3,475
Other
$7,916
$3,960

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandHouston
Fire Protection
$1,700
$295
Highways & Roads
$139
$175
Public Welfare
$3,607
$533
Health
$0
$210
Hospitals
$2,893
$511
Parks & Recreation
$2,477
$361
Housing
$3,694
$4,288
Sewerage
$630
$386
Utilities
$1,845
$1,339
Other
$6,689
$6,301
C
Portland, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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