Austin, TX vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA spends 17% more per resident than Austin, TX: $25,457 against $21,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Austin, TX — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. 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 Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in Austin, TX and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 14.5% more per capita than Austin ($3,685/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 | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $5,645 |
| Other | $5,645 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $634 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $513 |
| Education | $51 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $1,587 |
| Health | $517 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $343 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $8,026 |
| Other | $8,399 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.