Baltimore, MD vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $20,200, a 236% 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 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries $3,553 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Baltimore, MD at 7% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Baltimore spends 236.3% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($47,735/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $3,823 |
| Other | $4,765 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $1,132 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $1,849 |
| Health | $757 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $249 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,517 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.