Cape Coral, FL vs Fort Lauderdale, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL outspends Cape Coral, FL by a wide margin per resident — $37,099 versus $14,436, a 157% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cape Coral, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Fort Lauderdale, FL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Fort Lauderdale, FL carries the lighter load at $1,183 per resident versus $2,046 for Cape Coral, FL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Cape Coral, FL at $3,232 per resident and in Fort Lauderdale, FL at $7,663.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Cape Coral, FL at 7% of total revenue, whereas Fort Lauderdale, FL relies most on charges and fees at 18%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 61.1% more per capita than Cape Coral ($22,663/person difference). Cape Coral, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $384 | $1,496 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,238 |
| Intergovernmental | $177 | $1,700 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,811 | $9,057 |
| Other | $3,015 | $1,118 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $3,232 | $7,663 |
| Education | $1,446 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $699 | $619 |
| Hospitals | $15 | $518 |
| Parks & Recreation | $952 | $2,357 |
| Housing | $2,474 | $7,339 |
| Sewerage | $465 | $1,517 |
| Utilities | $481 | $7,411 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $77 |
| Other | $4,672 | $9,599 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.