Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA vs Macon-Bibb County, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA spends 41% more per resident than Macon-Bibb County, GA: $20,643 against $14,678. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 78/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Macon-Bibb County, GA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
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: Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA leads with parks and recreation at $2,332 per resident, while Macon-Bibb County, GA leads with police at $1,334.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA at 20% of total revenue, whereas Macon-Bibb County, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) spends 40.6% more per capita than Macon-Bibb County ($5,964/person difference). Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 78/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $35 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,045 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $828 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,956 | $8,434 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,578 | $0 |
| Other | $6,437 | $1,139 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,372 | $1,334 |
| Fire Protection | $771 | $918 |
| Highways & Roads | $459 | $646 |
| Public Welfare | $508 | $552 |
| Health | $722 | $252 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $559 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,332 | $659 |
| Housing | $2,708 | $1,875 |
| Sewerage | $183 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,250 | $1,074 |
| Other | $9,338 | $6,669 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.