Atlanta, GA vs Columbus, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Columbus, GA by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $15,522, a 64% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA edges Columbus, GA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 85/100 (grade A) to 82/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, GA carries $37 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274 per resident, while Columbus, GA leads with police at $1,611.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Atlanta, GA at 6% of total revenue, whereas Columbus, GA relies most on other revenue at 15%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.