Chicago, IL vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $17,237, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Chicago spends 100.4% more per capita than Albuquerque ($17,314/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,633 |
| Other | $3,463 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $172 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $419 |
| Health | $426 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,080 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,096 |
| Other | $9,385 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.