Recently, Truth in Accounting published their latest Combined City Taxpayer Report of the 10 most populated cities in the United States and the debt burdens put on each of their taxpayers.

The report attempts to measure the annual financial reports of each city combined with underlying entities and debt obligations that many times are not included in those same reports.

Texas has three cities included on the list, and the report sheds light on the growing liabilities for Texas taxpayers which until remedied, will only continue to stifle prosperity for future generations of Texans.

The Top 10

Ranked from worst to best, the top ten largest cities with the largest shares of individual taxpayer burdens in the United States are:

1. Chicago, Illinois: -$135,700 per taxpayer
2. New York City, New York: -$91,500 per taxpayer
3. Los Angeles, California: -$55,300 per taxpayer
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: -$48,100 per taxpayer
5. San Jose, California: -$42,100 per taxpayer
6. San Diego, California: -$37,600 per taxpayer
7. Houston, Texas: -$27,500 per taxpayer
8. Dallas, Texas: -$26,000 per taxpayer
9. San Antonio, Texas: -$19,400 per taxpayer
10. Phoenix, Arizona: -$11,200 per taxpayer

Texas Cities

City of Houston 

According to the report, the City of Houston has a taxpayer burden of $13,200, or each taxpayer’s share of the city’s debt. When you include the county and other underlying governmental units, however, that burden increases to $27,500 per taxpayer.

Here is a breakdown:

*Source: City Combined Taxpayer Burden Report from Truth in Accounting

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City of Dallas

According to the report, the City of Dallas has a taxpayer burden of $12,700, or each taxpayer’s share of the city’s debt. When you include the county and other underlying governmental units, however, that burden increases to $26,000 per taxpayer.

Here is a breakdown:

*Source: City Combined Taxpayer Burden Report from Truth in Accounting

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City of San Antonio

According to the report, the City of San Antonio has a taxpayer burden of $3,100, or each taxpayer’s share of the city’s debt. When you include the county and other underlying governmental units, however, that burden increases to $19,400 per taxpayer.

Here is a breakdown:

*Source: City Combined Taxpayer Burden Report from Truth in Accounting

What Does It All Mean?

Texas taxpayers can never hope to fully eliminate things like property taxes or cut government spending when our local government jurisdictions continue to operate irresponsibly or voters continue to overwhelmingly support the addition of new debt obligations on top of those that already exist.

Though the report incorporates the share of state debt in its calculation for each taxpayer it does not include the pure insanity that is federal debt, which recently surpassed over $30 trillion.

All of this debt combined with ongoing record inflation and increases in government spending makes the future look bleak. Without a renewed focus on fiscal sanity by Texas taxpayers, it is likely this behavior will continue and will continue to call into question future prosperity.