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

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN

Population: 684,103 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

D
47/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$33.5B
Per Capita
$48,948
Total Revenue
$94.8B
Total Debt
$1.6B

Spending Breakdown

Education
43.0%$14.4B
Other
20.5%$6.9B
Housing & Community Development
8.6%$2.9B
Utilities
6.4%$2.1B
Hospitals
4.3%$1.4B
General Administration
4.3%$1.4B
Interest on Debt
3.4%$1.1B
Police
3.1%$1.0B
Parks & Recreation
2.1%$694.7M
Public Welfare
1.5%$504.6M
Health
1.4%$459.6M
Fire Protection
1.0%$320.3M
Sewerage
0.4%$148.5M
Highways & Roads
0.0%$7.5M

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
0.3%$255.4M
Income Tax
0.1%$92.6M
Intergovernmental
9.9%$9.4B
Charges & Fees
1.8%$1.7B
Other
3.3%$3.2B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,519/person
Fire Protection$468/person
Highways & Roads$11/person
Parks & Recreation$1,015/person
Education$21,061/person
Health$672/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)68/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$1.6B
Long-Term Debt$994.9M
Debt Per Capita$2,292
Cash & Securities$385.7M

Compare Cities

See how Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) stacks up against another city.

vs Memphis, TNvs Knoxville, TNvs Chattanooga, TN
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Tennessee

Memphis, TN

Pop. 630K

B
Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$22,111

Knoxville, TN

Pop. 192K

C
Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$17,926

Chattanooga, TN

Pop. 181K

B
Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$24,150

Clarksville, TN

Pop. 168K

A
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$8,523

Compare Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) With

Memphis, TN

Spending: $22,111/person · Grade: B

Knoxville, TN

Spending: $17,926/person · Grade: C

Chattanooga, TN

Spending: $24,150/person · Grade: B

Clarksville, TN

Spending: $8,523/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN spends $48,948 per resident, based on total expenditures of $33.5B for a population of 684,103. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (47/100).

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN has total expenditures of $33.5B and total revenue of $94.8B. The city carries $1.6B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN has a Fiscal Health Score of D (47/100). 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: