Cape Coral, FL vs Pembroke Pines, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pembroke Pines, FL outspends Cape Coral, FL by a wide margin per resident — $23,266 versus $14,436, a 61% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Pembroke Pines, FL — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Pembroke Pines, 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 Pembroke Pines, FL at $5,067.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Cape Coral, FL at 7% of total revenue, whereas Pembroke Pines, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Pembroke Pines spends 38.0% more per capita than Cape Coral ($8,830/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 | $505 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $220 |
| Intergovernmental | $177 | $14,484 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,811 | $1,707 |
| Other | $3,015 | $2,536 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $3,232 | $5,067 |
| Education | $1,446 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $699 | $370 |
| Hospitals | $15 | $600 |
| Parks & Recreation | $952 | $1,061 |
| Housing | $2,474 | $4,311 |
| Sewerage | $465 | $227 |
| Utilities | $481 | $997 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $64 |
| Other | $4,672 | $10,570 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.