Baltimore, MD vs Gaithersburg, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Gaithersburg, MD by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $9,479, a 617% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg, MD leads with parks and recreation at $1,507.
Summary
Baltimore spends 616.7% more per capita than Gaithersburg ($58,456/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $530 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $266 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $0 |
| Other | $4,765 | $864 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $647 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $280 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $932 |
| Health | $757 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $452 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,507 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $1,611 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $254 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $541 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $263 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $2,991 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.