Baltimore, MD vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $25,457, a 167% 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 70/100 (grade B) for Baltimore, MD — a 15-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: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Baltimore spends 166.9% more per capita than Atlanta ($42,478/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 | $84 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $5,645 |
| Other | $4,765 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $513 |
| Education | $35,510 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $1,587 |
| Health | $757 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $343 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $8,026 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.