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

Sarasota, FL

Population: 55,508 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
53/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$9.3B
Per Capita
$168,190
Total Revenue
$6.8B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
44.2%$4.1B
Utilities
18.4%$1.7B
Housing & Community Development
13.2%$1.2B
Fire Protection
5.4%$503.6M
Police
4.0%$375.1M
Interest on Debt
3.6%$337.9M
Parks & Recreation
3.6%$337.3M
Public Welfare
3.4%$319.6M
Sewerage
2.1%$191.4M
Health
1.4%$126.8M
Hospitals
0.5%$50.1M
Highways & Roads
0.2%$14.1M

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
0.2%$13.3M
Sales Tax
0.4%$26.3M
Income Tax
3.7%$251.7M
Intergovernmental
36.9%$2.5B
Charges & Fees
7.8%$532.5M
Other
22.9%$1.6B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$6,757/person
Fire Protection$9,073/person
Highways & Roads$255/person
Parks & Recreation$6,077/person
Health$2,284/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)18/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)84/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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

Sarasota, FL spends $168,190 per resident, based on total expenditures of $9.3B for a population of 55,508. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100).

Sarasota, FL has total expenditures of $9.3B and total revenue of $6.8B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Sarasota, 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.

Sarasota, FL has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100). 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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