Bismarck, ND vs Fargo, ND
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Bismarck spends 6.9% more per capita than Fargo ($920/person difference). Fargo, ND has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
C
60/100
Budget Balance66
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
C
64/100
Budget Balance75
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Bismarck
Fargo
Total Spending
$1.0B
$1.7B
Spending / Capita
$14,170
$13,250
Total Revenue
$1.9B
$9.1B
Revenue / Capita
$25,559
$71,744
Total Debt
$110.4M
$161.1M
Debt / Capita
$1,499
$1,266
Population
73,694
127,319
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Police
Bismarck$0
Fargo$45
Fire Protection
Bismarck$663
Fargo$241
Highways & Roads
Bismarck$123
Fargo$216
Parks & Recreation
Bismarck$1,065
Fargo$1,205
Health
Bismarck$404
Fargo$409
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
BismarckFargo
| Property Tax | $0 | $292 |
| Sales Tax | $998 | $1,029 |
| Income Tax | $1,341 | $1,364 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,654 | $6,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,652 | $2,017 |
| Other | $3,626 | $2,985 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
BismarckFargo
| Police | $0 | $45 |
| Fire Protection | $663 | $241 |
| Highways & Roads | $123 | $216 |
| Public Welfare | $1,581 | $1,537 |
| Health | $404 | $409 |
| Hospitals | $26 | $127 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,065 | $1,205 |
| Housing | $3,590 | $1,862 |
| Sewerage | $143 | $204 |
| Utilities | $2,252 | $2,262 |
| Interest on Debt | $725 | $865 |
| Other | $3,599 | $4,277 |
C
Bismarck, ND
Fiscal Health Score: 60/100
Average fiscal health
C
Fargo, ND
Fiscal Health Score: 64/100
Average fiscal health