Chicago, IL vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Chicago, IL by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $34,551, a 604% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 85.8% more per capita than Chicago ($208,789/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $4,070 |
| Other | $3,463 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $2,498 |
| Health | $426 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $9,385 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.