Tucson, AZ vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $15,759, a 121% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX edges Tucson, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 54.8% more per capita than Tucson ($19,090/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $0 |
| Other | $952 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $330 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $215 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $444 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $3,322 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.