Chicago, IL vs Elgin, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Elgin, IL by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $14,229, a 143% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Elgin, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 58/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Elgin, IL carries the lighter load at $617 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 Elgin, IL leads with parks and recreation at $1,641.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Elgin, IL relies most on charges and fees at 43%.
Summary
Chicago spends 142.8% more per capita than Elgin ($20,322/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $754 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $651 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,170 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,267 |
| Other | $3,463 | $1,754 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $222 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $116 |
| Education | $0 | $53 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $718 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,641 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,472 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $2,850 |
| Other | $9,385 | $4,159 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.