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

Columbus, OH

Population: 902,449 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
52/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$17.0B
Per Capita
$18,858
Total Revenue
$0
Total Debt
$1.0B

Spending Breakdown

Other
40.3%$6.9B
Housing & Community Development
22.8%$3.9B
Parks & Recreation
11.5%$2.0B
Utilities
9.1%$1.6B
Fire Protection
5.4%$917.1M
Hospitals
5.1%$860.4M
Public Welfare
4.7%$792.5M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$202.2M
Sewerage
0.0%$872K

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.

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,016/person
Highways & Roads$224/person
Parks & Recreation$2,168/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)32/100
Debt Burden (20%)46/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)94/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$1.0B
Long-Term Debt$1.2B
Debt Per Capita$1,145
Cash & Securities$354.6M

Compare Cities

See how Columbus stacks up against another city.

vs Cleveland, OHvs Cincinnati, OHvs Toledo, OH
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Ohio

Cleveland, OH

Pop. 370K

B
Total Spending
$8.6B
Per Capita
$23,088

Cincinnati, OH

Pop. 309K

A
Total Spending
$7.6B
Per Capita
$24,651

Toledo, OH

Pop. 270K

C
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$5,129

Akron, OH

Pop. 190K

B
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$19,638

Compare Columbus With

Cleveland, OH

Spending: $23,088/person · Grade: B

Cincinnati, OH

Spending: $24,651/person · Grade: A

Toledo, OH

Spending: $5,129/person · Grade: C

Akron, OH

Spending: $19,638/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, OH spends $18,858 per resident, based on total expenditures of $17.0B for a population of 902,449. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100).

Columbus, OH has total expenditures of $17.0B and total revenue of $0. The city carries $1.0B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

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

Columbus, OH has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100). 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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