Chicago, IL vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN spends 42% more per resident than Chicago, IL: $48,948 against $34,551. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 10% in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 29.4% more per capita than Chicago ($14,397/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 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,444 |
| Other | $3,463 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $11 |
| Education | $0 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $738 |
| Health | $426 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $217 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $0 | $2,081 |
| Other | $9,385 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.