Atlanta, GA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $25,457, a 407% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 80.3% more per capita than Atlanta ($103,662/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $1,835 |
| Other | $5,461 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $221 |
| Education | $25 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $1,116 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $868 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $315 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $8,262 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.