Auburn, AL vs Decatur, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Decatur, AL spends 45% more per resident than Auburn, AL: $17,185 against $11,856. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 46/100 (grade D) for Decatur, AL — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Auburn, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Decatur, AL carries $1,290 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Auburn, AL at $934 per resident and in Decatur, AL at $2,612.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Auburn, AL and 100% in Decatur, AL.
Summary
Decatur spends 31.0% more per capita than Auburn ($5,329/person difference). Auburn, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $855 |
| Sales Tax | $22 | $975 |
| Income Tax | $713 | $1,360 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,016 | $37,427 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,773 | $2,804 |
| Other | $3,814 | $4,387 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $551 | $254 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $95 |
| Education | $0 | $43 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $1,023 |
| Health | $328 | $66 |
| Hospitals | $1,012 | $1,729 |
| Parks & Recreation | $934 | $2,612 |
| Housing | $2,229 | $2,549 |
| Sewerage | $182 | $164 |
| Utilities | $1,765 | $3,362 |
| Other | $3,853 | $5,289 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.