Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Baltimore, MD vs Chicago, IL

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Baltimore spends 96.6% more per capita than Chicago ($33,384/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Baltimore, MD
Pop. 584,548
B
70/100
Budget Balance79
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Chicago, IL
Pop. 2,721,914
C
61/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden61
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency22
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Baltimore
Chicago
Total Spending
$39.7B
$94.0B
Spending / Capita
$67,935
$34,551
Total Revenue
$41.3B
$231.6B
Revenue / Capita
$70,679
$85,083
Total Debt
$0
$2.7B
Debt / Capita
$0
$977
Population
584,548
2,721,914
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Baltimore$820
Chicago$0
Fire Protection
Baltimore$1,214
Chicago$10,754
Highways & Roads
Baltimore$676
Chicago$930
Parks & Recreation
Baltimore$384
Chicago$122
Education
Baltimore$35,510
Chicago$0
Health
Baltimore$757
Chicago$426

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BaltimoreChicago
Property Tax
$84
$26
Sales Tax
$55
$74
Income Tax
$375
$229
Intergovernmental
$5,085
$85,083
Charges & Fees
$2,192
$2,847
Other
$4,765
$3,463

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BaltimoreChicago
Police
$820
$0
Fire Protection
$1,214
$10,754
Highways & Roads
$676
$930
Education
$35,510
$0
Public Welfare
$714
$1,858
Health
$757
$426
Hospitals
$1,877
$1,444
Parks & Recreation
$384
$122
Housing
$4,087
$6,520
Sewerage
$87
$129
Utilities
$3,809
$2,983
General Admin
$19
$0
Other
$17,981
$9,385
B
Baltimore, MD
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health
C
Chicago, IL
Fiscal Health Score: 61/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities