Washington, DC vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $11,769, a 1968% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Washington spends 1967.6% more per capita than Arlington ($231,572/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,949 |
| Other | $11,518 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $149 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $826 |
| Health | $1,009 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $141 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $4,404 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.