Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA vs Savannah, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Savannah, GA spends 18% more per resident than Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA: $24,281 against $20,643. 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 57/100 (grade C) for Savannah, GA — a 21-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 Savannah, GA carries $9 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 Savannah, GA at $1,980.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 20% of total revenue in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA and 28% in Savannah, GA.
Summary
Savannah spends 15.0% more per capita than Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) ($3,638/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 | $18 |
| Sales Tax | $1,045 | $1,601 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $2,611 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,956 | $413 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,578 | $1,501 |
| Other | $6,437 | $5,349 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,372 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $771 | $408 |
| Highways & Roads | $459 | $402 |
| Education | $0 | $157 |
| Public Welfare | $508 | $3,035 |
| Health | $722 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,332 | $1,980 |
| Housing | $2,708 | $4,362 |
| Sewerage | $183 | $266 |
| Utilities | $2,250 | $5,827 |
| Other | $9,338 | $7,844 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.