Chicago, IL vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL spends 56% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $34,551 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 65/100 (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.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Chicago spends 56.3% more per capita than Memphis ($12,441/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,077 |
| Other | $3,463 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $630 |
| Health | $426 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $9,385 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.