Albany, NY vs Utica, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albany, NY outspends Utica, NY by a wide margin per resident — $46,595 versus $15,612, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Utica, NY edges Albany, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 65/100 (grade B) 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.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Albany, NY leads with police at $3,815 per resident, while Utica, NY leads with parks and recreation at $1,207.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Albany, NY at 22% of total revenue, whereas Utica, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Albany spends 198.5% more per capita than Utica ($30,983/person difference). Utica, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,242 | $153 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,947 | $6,364 |
| Other | $6,604 | $1,276 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,815 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $558 | $230 |
| Highways & Roads | $391 | $230 |
| Public Welfare | $1,363 | $537 |
| Health | $91 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $480 |
| Parks & Recreation | $663 | $1,207 |
| Housing | $2,042 | $3,171 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $123 |
| Utilities | $13,046 | $1,553 |
| Interest on Debt | $88 | $0 |
| Other | $24,538 | $8,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.