Albany, NY vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Albany, NY by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $46,595, a 177% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY edges Albany, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 64/100 (grade C) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Albany, NY reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Albany, NY leads with police at $3,815 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Albany, NY at 22% of total revenue, whereas New York, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
New York spends 63.9% more per capita than Albany ($82,524/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $1,242 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,947 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,835 |
| Other | $6,604 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,815 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $558 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $391 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,363 | $1,116 |
| Health | $91 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $663 | $868 |
| Housing | $2,042 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $315 |
| Utilities | $13,046 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $88 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $24,538 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.