Austin, TX vs Albuquerque, NM

Austin, TX spends 26% more per resident than Albuquerque, NM: $21,772 against $17,237. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Albuquerque, NM edges Austin, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 81/100 (grade A) to 75/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Austin, TX at $1,801 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Austin, TX at 18% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.