Tulsa, OK vs Los Angeles, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $5,250, a 1527% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tulsa, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 93.9% more per capita than Tulsa ($80,182/person difference). Tulsa, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $77 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $307 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $134 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $459 |
| Other | $53 | $9,048 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $4,111 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $503 |
| Education | $0 | $829 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $1,286 |
| Health | $762 | $409 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,135 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $1,347 |
| Housing | $350 | $6,325 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $34 |
| Utilities | $41 | $21,992 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $630 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,586 |
| Other | $2,748 | $33,189 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.