Clarksville, TN vs Murfreesboro, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Murfreesboro, TN outspends Clarksville, TN by a wide margin per resident — $18,812 versus $8,523, a 121% 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 44/100 (grade D) for Murfreesboro, TN — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Clarksville, TN carries the lighter load at $833 per resident versus $2,467 for Murfreesboro, TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Clarksville, TN leads with parks and recreation at $611 per resident, while Murfreesboro, TN leads with education at $7,574.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Clarksville, TN at 9% of total revenue, whereas Murfreesboro, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Murfreesboro spends 54.7% more per capita than Clarksville ($10,289/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 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $349 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,799 | $27,007 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,073 | $3,562 |
| Other | $3,159 | $40 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $299 | $558 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $87 |
| Education | $0 | $7,574 |
| Public Welfare | $1,038 | $752 |
| Health | $0 | $86 |
| Hospitals | $137 | $300 |
| Parks & Recreation | $611 | $1,074 |
| Housing | $2,349 | $2,655 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $133 |
| Utilities | $1,345 | $2,530 |
| Interest on Debt | $444 | $203 |
| Other | $2,036 | $2,861 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.