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

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA

Population: 126,672 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

B
78/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$2.6B
Per Capita
$20,643
Total Revenue
$4.2B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
45.2%$1.2B
Housing & Community Development
13.1%$343.0M
Parks & Recreation
11.3%$295.4M
Utilities
10.9%$285.0M
Police
6.6%$173.8M
Fire Protection
3.7%$97.6M
Health
3.5%$91.4M
Public Welfare
2.5%$64.4M
Highways & Roads
2.2%$58.1M
Sewerage
0.9%$23.2M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$4.5M
Sales Tax
3.2%$132.4M
Income Tax
2.2%$90.6M
Intergovernmental
9.0%$374.4M
Charges & Fees
4.8%$199.9M
Other
19.6%$815.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,372/person
Fire Protection$771/person
Highways & Roads$459/person
Parks & Recreation$2,332/person
Health$722/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)75/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)58/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) stacks up against another city.

vs Atlanta, GAvs Columbus, GAvs Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Georgia

Atlanta, GA

Pop. 495K

A
Total Spending
$12.6B
Per Capita
$25,457

Columbus, GA

Pop. 205K

A
Total Spending
$3.2B
Per Capita
$15,522

Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA

Pop. 202K

B
Total Spending
$3.9B
Per Capita
$19,144

Macon-Bibb County, GA

Pop. 157K

C
Total Spending
$2.3B
Per Capita
$14,678

Compare Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) With

Atlanta, GA

Spending: $25,457/person · Grade: A

Columbus, GA

Spending: $15,522/person · Grade: A

Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA

Spending: $19,144/person · Grade: B

Macon-Bibb County, GA

Spending: $14,678/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA spends $20,643 per resident, based on total expenditures of $2.6B for a population of 126,672. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (78/100).

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA has total expenditures of $2.6B and total revenue of $4.2B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (78/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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