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

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Population: 182,673 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
55/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$6.8B
Per Capita
$37,099
Total Revenue
$9.4B
Total Debt
$216.2M

Spending Breakdown

Other
25.9%$1.8B
Fire Protection
20.7%$1.4B
Utilities
20.0%$1.4B
Housing & Community Development
19.8%$1.3B
Parks & Recreation
6.4%$430.5M
Sewerage
4.1%$277.1M
Public Welfare
1.7%$113.0M
Hospitals
1.4%$94.6M
Interest on Debt
0.2%$14.0M

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

Sales Tax
2.9%$273.3M
Income Tax
2.4%$226.2M
Intergovernmental
3.3%$310.6M
Charges & Fees
17.7%$1.7B
Other
2.2%$204.3M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$7,663/person
Parks & Recreation$2,357/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)92/100
Debt Burden (20%)8/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$216.2M
Long-Term Debt$45.2M
Debt Per Capita$1,183
Cash & Securities$170.5M

Compare Cities

See how Fort Lauderdale stacks up against another city.

vs Jacksonville, FLvs Miami, FLvs Tampa, FL
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Pop. 950K

C
Total Spending
$29.9B
Per Capita
$31,456

Miami, FL

Pop. 444K

C
Total Spending
$12.5B
Per Capita
$28,195

Tampa, FL

Pop. 389K

F
Total Spending
$11.9B
Per Capita
$30,690

Orlando, FL

Pop. 308K

B
Total Spending
$9.6B
Per Capita
$31,123

Compare Fort Lauderdale With

Jacksonville, FL

Spending: $31,456/person · Grade: C

Miami, FL

Spending: $28,195/person · Grade: C

Tampa, FL

Spending: $30,690/person · Grade: F

Orlando, FL

Spending: $31,123/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lauderdale, FL spends $37,099 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.8B for a population of 182,673. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100).

Fort Lauderdale, FL has total expenditures of $6.8B and total revenue of $9.4B. The city carries $216.2M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

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

Fort Lauderdale, FL has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100). 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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