Tulsa, OK vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $18,074 versus $5,250, a 244% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 71.0% more per capita than Tulsa ($12,823/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $97 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,256 |
| Other | $53 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $1,525 |
| Health | $762 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $350 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $0 |
| Utilities | $41 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $2,748 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.