Updated April 2026 · U.S. Census Bureau, fiscal year 2023
Where Does Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN Get Its Money?
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN took in $94.8B in total revenue, or $138,595 per resident. Its largest single source is Intergovernmental Transfers at $9.4B, followed by Other at $3.2B. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the balance comes from a mix of taxes, intergovernmental transfers, and user charges.
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN Budget Snapshot
| Total Spending | $33.5B |
| Per Capita Spending | $48,948 |
| Total Revenue | $94.8B |
| Total Debt | $1.6B |
| Debt Per Capita | $2,292 |
| Population | 684,103 |
| Fiscal Health Score | 47/100 (D) |
| Data Year | FY 2023 |
Where Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN's Money Comes From
Where does the money come from? Property tax provides 0 percent of city revenue, sales tax 0 percent, intergovernmental transfers from federal and state sources 10 percent, and direct charges and user fees 2 percent. The remainder comes from utility revenue, income tax (where applicable), and miscellaneous sources.
Where the Money Goes
Of the $33.5B that Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN spent in its most recent reported fiscal year, the largest single line item per resident is Education at $21,061. Police comes next at $1,519 per resident. Together those two functions account for the bulk of every-day taxpayer-facing services in the city budget. The remaining categories, parks, health, housing, debt service, and general administration, fill out the picture.
Top Spending Categories (Per Capita)
Debt Burden in Context
Debt-wise, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) runs above the peer-group median: $2,292 per resident versus $445 for similar-size cities. That gap, 415%, may reflect a recent bond issuance, large capital project, or simply a more-debt-funded approach to infrastructure.
What Does the D Grade Mean?
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN earns a D on the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score (47/100). Multiple stress indicators, debt burden, pension underfunding, or a recent run of operating deficits, are flashing. Bond raters and state oversight officials typically pay closer attention to D-grade cities.
How This Score Is Calculated
The CitySpend Fiscal Health Score combines six factors into one composite, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances: budget balance and reserves (25%), debt burden per capita versus peer median (20%), pension funded ratio from the Public Plans Database (20%), spending efficiency (15%), revenue diversity (10%), and three-year trend direction (10%). Best-practice weighting follows guidance from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Read the full methodology.
More about Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN took in $94.8B in total revenue, or $138,595 per resident. Its largest single source is Intergovernmental Transfers at $9.4B, followed by Other at $3.2B. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the balance comes from a mix of taxes, intergovernmental transfers, and user charges.
The data source behind this answer is the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.