Tulsa, OK vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $21,772 versus $5,250, a 315% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
Summary
Austin spends 75.9% more per capita than Tulsa ($16,522/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $97 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,247 |
| Other | $53 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $1,837 |
| Health | $762 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $350 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $865 |
| Utilities | $41 | $3,264 |
| Other | $2,748 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.