Truth in Accounting

Houston, TX

TIA Data

2020 Financial State of Houston (Released 1/25/2022)

2020 Houston Combined Taxpayer Burden

Use Create Your Own City Chart to see additional financial, demographic and economic data for this and other cities

 
Houston's Taxpayer Burden™ is -$13,200, and it received a "D" from TIA.
Houston is a Sinkhole City without enough assets to cover its debt.
Decisions by elected officials have created a Taxpayer Burden™, which is each taxpayer's share of city bills after its available assets have been tapped.
TIA's Taxpayer Burden™ measurement incorporates all assets and liabilities, including retirement obligations.
Houston only has $5.8 billion of assets available to pay bills totaling $14.7 billion.
Because Houston doesn't have enough money to pay its bills, it has a $8.9 billion financial hole. To erase this shortfall, each Houston taxpayer would have to send $13,200 to the city.
Houston's reported net position is inflated by $958.1 million, largely because the city defers recognizing losses incurred when retirement liabilities increase.
The city's financial report was released 164 days after its fiscal year end, which is considered timely according to the 180 day standard.
 

Prior Years' TIA Data

2019 Houston Combined Taxpayer Burden

2019 Financial State of Houston

2018 Houston Combined Taxpayer Burden

2018 Financial State of Houston

2017 Houston Combined Taxpayer Burden

2017 Financial State of Houston, TX

2016 Houston Combined Taxpayer Burden

2016 Financial State of Houston

2015 Financial State of Houston

2014 Financial State of Houston

Other Resources

Houston Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports

Publishing Entity: City of Houston Controller's Office

IN THE NEWS
Houston gets a "D" when it comes to city finance- What's Your Point?

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | FOX 26 HOUSTON | by Greg Groogan

Panelist Charles Blain, president of the Urban Reform Institute, said, “I love the Financial State of the Cities Report. It really breaks it down. What I think is so important in this is they really highlight the fact the city has put zero cents to the other post employee benefits. … Houston is the worst for every city in Texas. Every time the mayor and the city council say they balance the budget know that is not true.”

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