Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Atlanta, GA vs Columbus, GA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Atlanta spends 64.0% more per capita than Columbus ($9,935/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Atlanta, GA
Pop. 494,838
A
85/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency64
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Columbus, GA
Pop. 204,572
A
82/100
Budget Balance76
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Atlanta
Columbus
Total Spending
$12.6B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$25,457
$15,522
Total Revenue
$77.6B
$4.4B
Revenue / Capita
$156,803
$21,716
Total Debt
$0
$7.6M
Debt / Capita
$0
$37
Population
494,838
204,572
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Atlanta$315
Columbus$1,611
Fire Protection
Atlanta$464
Columbus$699
Highways & Roads
Atlanta$513
Columbus$443
Parks & Recreation
Atlanta$1,274
Columbus$669
Education
Atlanta$25
Columbus$21

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaColumbus
Property Tax
$419
$64
Sales Tax
$0
$315
Income Tax
$1,292
$688
Intergovernmental
$9,121
$792
Charges & Fees
$5,645
$2,259
Other
$5,461
$3,202

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaColumbus
Police
$315
$1,611
Fire Protection
$464
$699
Highways & Roads
$513
$443
Education
$25
$21
Public Welfare
$1,587
$1,247
Hospitals
$55
$170
Parks & Recreation
$1,274
$669
Housing
$4,594
$2,701
Sewerage
$343
$66
Utilities
$8,026
$1,989
Other
$8,262
$5,907
A
Atlanta, GA
Fiscal Health Score: 85/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Columbus, GA
Fiscal Health Score: 82/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities