Beaverton, OR vs Salem, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salem, OR spends 34% more per resident than Beaverton, OR: $15,959 against $11,934. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Salem, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Beaverton, OR — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Salem, OR carries the lighter load at $1,019 per resident versus $2,344 for Beaverton, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Beaverton, OR leads with health at $994 per resident, while Salem, OR leads with parks and recreation at $899.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Beaverton, OR and 12% in Salem, OR.
Summary
Salem spends 25.2% more per capita than Beaverton ($4,025/person difference). Salem, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $29 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $301 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,094 | $5,706 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,390 | $2,510 |
| Other | $1,691 | $5,114 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $268 | $185 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $285 |
| Public Welfare | $967 | $1,100 |
| Health | $994 | $311 |
| Hospitals | $455 | $2,834 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $899 |
| Housing | $3,728 | $3,037 |
| Sewerage | $406 | $317 |
| Utilities | $1,470 | $1,581 |
| Other | $3,645 | $5,409 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.