Cleveland, OH vs Hamilton, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hamilton, OH outspends Cleveland, OH by a wide margin per resident — $116,276 versus $23,088, a 404% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cleveland, OH edges Hamilton, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Hamilton, OH reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cleveland, OH carries $1,253 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Cleveland, OH leads with parks and recreation at $879 per resident, while Hamilton, OH leads with fire protection at $2,102.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Cleveland, OH and 100% in Hamilton, OH.
Summary
Hamilton spends 80.1% more per capita than Cleveland ($93,188/person difference). Cleveland, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $470 | $604 |
| Sales Tax | $230 | $3,499 |
| Income Tax | $404 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $12,511 | $204,195 |
| Charges & Fees | $8,026 | $0 |
| Other | $1,801 | $71,987 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $134 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $633 | $2,102 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $86 |
| Education | $65 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $184 | $3,373 |
| Hospitals | $147 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $879 | $1,125 |
| Housing | $6,008 | $15,570 |
| Sewerage | $250 | $0 |
| Utilities | $5,621 | $50,129 |
| Other | $8,945 | $43,891 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.