Atlanta, GA vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $25,457, a 856% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 44-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 89.5% more per capita than Atlanta ($217,884/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $4,070 |
| Other | $5,461 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $1,435 |
| Education | $25 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $8,262 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.