Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA vs Roswell, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA spends 44% more per resident than Roswell, GA: $20,643 against $14,384. 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 54/100 (grade C) for Roswell, GA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Roswell, GA carries $34 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA at $2,332 per resident and in Roswell, GA at $2,116.
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 Roswell, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 472%.
Summary
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) spends 43.5% more per capita than Roswell ($6,259/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 | $53 |
| Sales Tax | $1,045 | $822 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $1,347 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,956 | $9,926 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,578 | $303 |
| Other | $6,437 | $2,917 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,372 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $771 | $710 |
| Highways & Roads | $459 | $229 |
| Education | $0 | $7 |
| Public Welfare | $508 | $944 |
| Health | $722 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $6 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,332 | $2,116 |
| Housing | $2,708 | $2,325 |
| Sewerage | $183 | $65 |
| Utilities | $2,250 | $3,176 |
| Other | $9,338 | $4,807 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.