Cape Coral, FL vs Orlando, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Orlando, FL outspends Cape Coral, FL by a wide margin per resident — $31,123 versus $14,436, a 116% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Orlando, FL edges Cape Coral, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 73/100 (grade B) to 69/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Orlando, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cape Coral, FL carries $2,046 per resident. 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 Orlando, FL at $5,632.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 7% of total revenue in Cape Coral, FL and 22% in Orlando, FL.
Summary
Orlando spends 53.6% more per capita than Cape Coral ($16,687/person difference). Orlando, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 73/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $384 | $2,492 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,219 |
| Intergovernmental | $177 | $432 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,811 | $0 |
| Other | $3,015 | $6,520 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $3,232 | $5,632 |
| Education | $1,446 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $699 | $628 |
| Hospitals | $15 | $775 |
| Parks & Recreation | $952 | $4,107 |
| Housing | $2,474 | $5,645 |
| Sewerage | $465 | $585 |
| Utilities | $481 | $1,262 |
| Other | $4,672 | $12,489 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.