Clarksville, TN vs Johnson City, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Johnson City, TN outspends Clarksville, TN by a wide margin per resident — $29,659 versus $8,523, a 248% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Clarksville, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 23/100 (grade F) for Johnson City, TN — a 57-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Clarksville, TN carries the lighter load at $833 per resident versus $1,609 for Johnson City, TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Clarksville, TN leads with parks and recreation at $611 per resident, while Johnson City, TN leads with education at $14,043.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Clarksville, TN at 9% of total revenue, whereas Johnson City, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Johnson City spends 71.3% more per capita than Clarksville ($21,136/person difference). Clarksville, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $118 | $228 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,303 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,799 | $21,169 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,073 | $3,131 |
| Other | $3,159 | $3,770 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $299 | $304 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $192 |
| Education | $0 | $14,043 |
| Public Welfare | $1,038 | $2,007 |
| Health | $0 | $322 |
| Hospitals | $137 | $92 |
| Parks & Recreation | $611 | $1,227 |
| Housing | $2,349 | $2,442 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,345 | $3,744 |
| Interest on Debt | $444 | $628 |
| Other | $2,036 | $4,657 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.