Birmingham, AL vs Dothan, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Birmingham, AL outspends Dothan, AL by a wide margin per resident — $30,790 versus $17,116, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dothan, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Birmingham, AL — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dothan, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Birmingham, AL carries $2,823 per resident. 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 Dothan, AL at $4,666.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Birmingham, AL at 13% of total revenue, whereas Dothan, AL relies most on other revenue at 26%.
Summary
Birmingham spends 79.9% more per capita than Dothan ($13,674/person difference). Dothan, AL 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 | $44 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $281 | $671 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $756 |
| Intergovernmental | $468 | $919 |
| Charges & Fees | $10,460 | $1,664 |
| Other | $734 | $3,341 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $22 | $290 |
| Fire Protection | $1,152 | $632 |
| Highways & Roads | $848 | $290 |
| Public Welfare | $2,110 | $1,177 |
| Health | $683 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,505 | $126 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,823 | $4,666 |
| Housing | $5,487 | $3,247 |
| Sewerage | $594 | $309 |
| Utilities | $5,451 | $2,759 |
| Other | $11,115 | $3,622 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.