Washington, DC vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Washington spends 1589.9% more per capita than Houston ($228,941/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
D
41/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Washington
Houston
Total Spending
$163.2B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$243,341
$14,400
Total Revenue
$186.2B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$277,701
$55,600
Total Debt
$1.7B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$2,516
$863
Population
670,587
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Police
Washington$4,183
Houston$0
Fire Protection
Washington$4,262
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Washington$1,435
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Washington$5,459
Houston$361
Education
Washington$53,224
Houston$0
Health
Washington$1,009
Houston$210
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
WashingtonHouston
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $3,475 |
| Other | $11,518 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
WashingtonHouston
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $175 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $533 |
| Health | $1,009 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $361 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $386 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $1,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $6,301 |
D
Washington, DC
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health