Baltimore, MD vs Austin, TX

Baltimore, MD outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $21,772, a 212% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Austin, TX edges Baltimore, MD on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Austin, TX.