Albuquerque, NM vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $17,237, a 1312% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Albuquerque, NM at 11% of total revenue, whereas Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Washington spends 92.9% more per capita than Albuquerque ($226,103/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $4,070 |
| Other | $2,174 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $440 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $2,498 |
| Health | $291 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $3,209 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.