Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY

Population: 321,276 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

A
84/100

Excellent fiscal health — strong reserves, low debt, well-funded pensions

Total Spending
$4.3B
Per Capita
$13,449
Total Revenue
$5.3B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
29.6%$1.3B
Housing & Community Development
16.1%$697.4M
Utilities
14.7%$633.6M
Police
9.6%$415.6M
Health
8.1%$351.9M
Parks & Recreation
7.8%$338.8M
Interest on Debt
7.3%$316.6M
Hospitals
2.0%$88.3M
Fire Protection
1.7%$71.4M
Sewerage
1.4%$59.3M
Education
1.0%$41.7M
Public Welfare
0.6%$27.2M

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

Sales Tax
2.2%$116.2M
Income Tax
1.4%$74.5M
Intergovernmental
28.1%$1.5B
Other
53.2%$2.8B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,294/person
Fire Protection$222/person
Parks & Recreation$1,054/person
Education$130/person
Health$1,095/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)98/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)38/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Lexington-Fayette urban county stacks up against another city.

vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KYvs Bowling Green, KYvs Owensboro, KY
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Kentucky

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY

Pop. 629K

D
Total Spending
$12.7B
Per Capita
$20,200

Bowling Green, KY

Pop. 72K

A
Total Spending
$754.7M
Per Capita
$10,426

Owensboro, KY

Pop. 60K

A
Total Spending
$823.4M
Per Capita
$13,719

Compare Lexington-Fayette urban county With

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY

Spending: $20,200/person · Grade: D

Bowling Green, KY

Spending: $10,426/person · Grade: A

Owensboro, KY

Spending: $13,719/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY spends $13,449 per resident, based on total expenditures of $4.3B for a population of 321,276. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of A (84/100).

Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY has total expenditures of $4.3B and total revenue of $5.3B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY has a Fiscal Health Score of A (84/100). 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.

Last updated: