Albuquerque, NM vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $17,237, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Albuquerque, NM at 11% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 50.1% more per capita than Albuquerque ($17,314/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $2,847 |
| Other | $2,174 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $440 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $1,858 |
| Health | $291 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $129 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $0 |
| Other | $3,209 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.