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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Cheektowaga, NY vs Rochester, NY

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Rochester, NY outspends Cheektowaga, NY by a wide margin per resident — $75,154 versus $10,250, a 633% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Cheektowaga, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Rochester, NY — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Cheektowaga, NY leads with parks and recreation at $577 per resident, while Rochester, NY leads with education at $42,739.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Cheektowaga, NY and 54% in Rochester, NY.

Summary

Rochester spends 86.4% more per capita than Cheektowaga ($64,903/person difference). Cheektowaga, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Cheektowaga, NY
Pop. 76,483
B
68/100
Budget Balance50
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Rochester, NY
Pop. 210,992
D
47/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity21
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Cheektowaga
Rochester
Total Spending
$784.0M
$15.9B
Spending / Capita
$10,250
$75,154
Total Revenue
$513.2M
$1.5B
Revenue / Capita
$6,709
$7,104
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
76,483
210,992
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Cheektowaga$77
Rochester$293
Highways & Roads
Cheektowaga$155
Rochester$379
Parks & Recreation
Cheektowaga$577
Rochester$910
Education
Cheektowaga$0
Rochester$42,739
Health
Cheektowaga$168
Rochester$753

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CheektowagaRochester
Sales Tax
$113
$511
Income Tax
$13
$1,427
Intergovernmental
$6,709
$3,814
Charges & Fees
$0
$1,993
Other
$151
$825

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CheektowagaRochester
Fire Protection
$77
$293
Highways & Roads
$155
$379
Education
$0
$42,739
Public Welfare
$1,620
$140
Health
$168
$753
Hospitals
$0
$764
Parks & Recreation
$577
$910
Housing
$2,169
$5,169
Sewerage
$174
$547
Utilities
$827
$5,082
Interest on Debt
$0
$215
Other
$4,483
$18,162
B
Cheektowaga, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 68/100
Good fiscal health
D
Rochester, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.