Atlanta, GA vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $25,457, a 70% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 35-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 Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Atlanta, GA at 6% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Fresno spends 41.3% more per capita than Atlanta ($17,930/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 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $11 |
| Other | $5,461 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $0 |
| Education | $25 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $1,946 |
| Health | $0 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $76 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $0 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $255 |
| Other | $8,262 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.