Atlanta, GA vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA and El Paso, TX spend within 4.9% of each other per resident — $25,457 versus $24,259 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — a 24-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: Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274 per resident, while El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 10% in El Paso, TX.
Summary
Atlanta spends 4.9% more per capita than El Paso ($1,198/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $31 |
| Other | $5,461 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $83 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $299 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $151 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $6 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $40 |
| General Admin | $0 | $17,951 |
| Other | $8,262 | $3,145 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.