Chicago, IL vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Chicago, IL by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $34,551, a 97% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Baltimore spends 49.1% more per capita than Chicago ($33,384/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,192 |
| Other | $3,463 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $676 |
| Education | $0 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $714 |
| Health | $426 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $384 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $87 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,809 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $9,385 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.