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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Large Cities (500K+) — Municipal Spending Rankings

Major US cities with over 500,000 residents. These metro hubs run billion-dollar budgets with complex service delivery needs.

Large CitiesMid-Size CitiesSmall CitiesTowns
Cities
37
Total Population
44.5M
Avg Fiscal Score
62/100
Avg Spending/Capita
$44,165
Avg Debt/Capita
$1,159

Grade Distribution

5
Grade A
8
Grade B
18
Grade C
6
Grade D
0
Grade F

All 37 Large Cities

New York, NY

Pop. 8.6M

C
Total Spending
$1113.3B
Per Capita
$129,119

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

Chicago, IL

Pop. 2.7M

C
Total Spending
$94.0B
Per Capita
$34,551

Houston, TX

Pop. 2.3M

A
Total Spending
$33.1B
Per Capita
$14,400

Phoenix, AZ

Pop. 1.6M

B
Total Spending
$25.4B
Per Capita
$15,793

Philadelphia, PA

Pop. 1.6M

D
Total Spending
$89.7B
Per Capita
$56,272

San Antonio, TX

Pop. 1.4M

B
Total Spending
$24.5B
Per Capita
$16,943

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

Dallas, TX

Pop. 1.3M

C
Total Spending
$45.3B
Per Capita
$34,849

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

Austin, TX

Pop. 958K

B
Total Spending
$20.9B
Per Capita
$21,772

Jacksonville, FL

Pop. 950K

C
Total Spending
$29.9B
Per Capita
$31,456

Fort Worth, TX

Pop. 925K

C
Total Spending
$14.7B
Per Capita
$15,939

Columbus, OH

Pop. 902K

C
Total Spending
$17.0B
Per Capita
$18,858

Indianapolis city (balance), IN

Pop. 882K

B
Total Spending
$40.6B
Per Capita
$46,045

Charlotte, NC

Pop. 875K

C
Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$15,854

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Seattle, WA

Pop. 735K

C
Total Spending
$25.3B
Per Capita
$34,463

Denver, CO

Pop. 711K

C
Total Spending
$23.9B
Per Capita
$33,582

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Pop. 684K

D
Total Spending
$33.5B
Per Capita
$48,948

Oklahoma City, OK

Pop. 681K

B
Total Spending
$12.3B
Per Capita
$18,074

El Paso, TX

Pop. 677K

C
Total Spending
$16.4B
Per Capita
$24,259

Washington, DC

Pop. 671K

D
Total Spending
$163.2B
Per Capita
$243,341

Boston, MA

Pop. 666K

C
Total Spending
$48.1B
Per Capita
$72,299

Portland, OR

Pop. 646K

C
Total Spending
$15.3B
Per Capita
$23,675

Las Vegas, NV

Pop. 645K

A
Total Spending
$5.9B
Per Capita
$9,085

Detroit, MI

Pop. 637K

B
Total Spending
$19.8B
Per Capita
$31,087

Memphis, TN

Pop. 630K

B
Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$22,111

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY

Pop. 629K

D
Total Spending
$12.7B
Per Capita
$20,200

Baltimore, MD

Pop. 585K

B
Total Spending
$39.7B
Per Capita
$67,935

Milwaukee, WI

Pop. 573K

C
Total Spending
$11.1B
Per Capita
$19,417

Albuquerque, NM

Pop. 563K

A
Total Spending
$9.7B
Per Capita
$17,237

Fresno, CA

Pop. 542K

C
Total Spending
$23.5B
Per Capita
$43,387

Tucson, AZ

Pop. 541K

C
Total Spending
$8.5B
Per Capita
$15,759

Sacramento, CA

Pop. 524K

C
Total Spending
$37.2B
Per Capita
$71,020

Kansas City, MO

Pop. 506K

C
Total Spending
$11.5B
Per Capita
$22,820

Mesa, AZ

Pop. 503K

A
Total Spending
$6.4B
Per Capita
$12,768

Frequently Asked Questions

How many large cities are tracked on CitySpend?

CitySpend tracks 37 large cities with populations over 500K. Together they represent 44.5M residents.

What is the average fiscal health score for large cities?

The average fiscal health score for large cities is 62 out of 100. They average $44,165 in spending per capita and $1,159 in debt per capita.

How does city size affect fiscal health?

Larger cities tend to have higher per-capita spending due to complex urban service needs (transit, housing, public safety). Smaller cities often show lower per-capita debt but may rely more heavily on a single revenue source like property taxes.

What data sources are used for city spending comparisons?

All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. Population figures are from the American Community Survey. Our Fiscal Health Score is a proprietary composite of six weighted factors.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. Per-capita figures based on American Community Survey population estimates.