Auburn, AL vs Madison, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Auburn, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $11,856, a 119% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 36-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: Auburn, AL leads with parks and recreation at $934 per resident, while Madison, AL leads with fire protection at $2,129.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Auburn, AL and 100% in Madison, AL.
Summary
Madison spends 54.4% more per capita than Auburn ($14,160/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 | $73 |
| Sales Tax | $22 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $713 | $2,566 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,016 | $8,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,773 | $3,300 |
| Other | $3,814 | $4,323 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,061 |
| Fire Protection | $551 | $2,129 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $5,542 |
| Health | $328 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,012 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $934 | $799 |
| Housing | $2,229 | $5,194 |
| Sewerage | $182 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,765 | $3,593 |
| Other | $3,853 | $6,698 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.