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

Tucson, AZ vs Houston, TX

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

Summary

Tucson spends 9.4% more per capita than Houston ($1,359/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tucson, AZ
Pop. 541,033
C
55/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden10
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
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
Tucson
Houston
Total Spending
$8.5B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$15,759
$14,400
Total Revenue
$12.6B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$23,276
$55,600
Total Debt
$833.1M
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$1,540
$863
Population
541,033
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Tucson$330
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Tucson$0
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Tucson$1,229
Houston$361
Health
Tucson$0
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonHouston
Property Tax
$5
$0
Sales Tax
$309
$181
Income Tax
$1,107
$39
Intergovernmental
$23,276
$33
Charges & Fees
$4,534
$3,475
Other
$952
$3,960

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonHouston
Fire Protection
$330
$295
Highways & Roads
$0
$175
Public Welfare
$1,181
$533
Health
$0
$210
Hospitals
$1,314
$511
Parks & Recreation
$1,229
$361
Housing
$3,091
$4,288
Sewerage
$0
$386
Utilities
$3,555
$1,339
Interest on Debt
$1,735
$0
Other
$3,322
$6,301
C
Tucson, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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