Birmingham, AL vs Decatur, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Birmingham, AL outspends Decatur, AL by a wide margin per resident — $30,790 versus $17,185, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Birmingham, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 46/100 (grade D) for Decatur, AL — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Decatur, AL carries the lighter load at $1,290 per resident versus $2,823 for Birmingham, AL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Birmingham, AL at $1,823 per resident and in Decatur, AL at $2,612.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Birmingham, AL at 13% of total revenue, whereas Decatur, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Birmingham spends 79.2% more per capita than Decatur ($13,605/person difference). Birmingham, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $44 | $855 |
| Sales Tax | $281 | $975 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,360 |
| Intergovernmental | $468 | $37,427 |
| Charges & Fees | $10,460 | $2,804 |
| Other | $734 | $4,387 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $22 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,152 | $254 |
| Highways & Roads | $848 | $95 |
| Education | $0 | $43 |
| Public Welfare | $2,110 | $1,023 |
| Health | $683 | $66 |
| Hospitals | $1,505 | $1,729 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,823 | $2,612 |
| Housing | $5,487 | $2,549 |
| Sewerage | $594 | $164 |
| Utilities | $5,451 | $3,362 |
| Other | $11,115 | $5,289 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.