Chicago, IL vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Long Beach, CA spend within 0.9% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $34,250 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Long Beach, CA edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA leads with parks and recreation at $698.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Long Beach, CA relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Chicago spends 0.9% more per capita than Long Beach ($301/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,424 |
| Other | $3,463 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $1,317 |
| Health | $426 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $698 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $86 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,718 |
| Other | $9,385 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.