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

Chicago, IL

Population: 2,721,914 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
61/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$94.0B
Per Capita
$34,551
Total Revenue
$231.6B
Total Debt
$2.7B

Spending Breakdown

Fire Protection
31.1%$29.3B
Other
27.2%$25.5B
Housing & Community Development
18.9%$17.7B
Utilities
8.6%$8.1B
Public Welfare
5.4%$5.1B
Hospitals
4.2%$3.9B
Highways & Roads
2.7%$2.5B
Health
1.2%$1.2B
Sewerage
0.4%$351.3M
Parks & Recreation
0.4%$332.6M

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
0.0%$71.8M
Sales Tax
0.1%$201.9M
Income Tax
0.3%$624.0M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$231.6B
Charges & Fees
3.3%$7.7B
Other
4.1%$9.4B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$10,754/person
Highways & Roads$930/person
Parks & Recreation$122/person
Health$426/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)61/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)22/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$2.7B
Long-Term Debt$3.7B
Debt Per Capita$977
Cash & Securities$9.9B

Compare Cities

See how Chicago stacks up against another city.

vs Aurora, ILvs Joliet, ILvs Naperville, IL
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Illinois

Aurora, IL

Pop. 181K

A
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$15,301

Joliet, IL

Pop. 150K

D
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$18,675

Naperville, IL

Pop. 149K

D
Total Spending
$2.3B
Per Capita
$15,751

Rockford, IL

Pop. 148K

C
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$19,348

Compare Chicago With

Aurora, IL

Spending: $15,301/person · Grade: A

Joliet, IL

Spending: $18,675/person · Grade: D

Naperville, IL

Spending: $15,751/person · Grade: D

Rockford, IL

Spending: $19,348/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL spends $34,551 per resident, based on total expenditures of $94.0B for a population of 2,721,914. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (61/100).

Chicago, IL has total expenditures of $94.0B and total revenue of $231.6B. The city carries $2.7B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Chicago, IL employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Chicago, IL has a Fiscal Health Score of C (61/100). 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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