Columbus, GA vs Savannah, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Savannah, GA spends 56% more per resident than Columbus, GA: $24,281 against $15,522. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Columbus, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Savannah, GA — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Savannah, GA carries the lighter load at $9 per resident versus $37 for Columbus, GA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Columbus, GA leads with police at $1,611 per resident, while Savannah, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,980.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Columbus, GA and 28% in Savannah, GA.
Summary
Savannah spends 36.1% more per capita than Columbus ($8,759/person difference). Columbus, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $64 | $18 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $1,601 |
| Income Tax | $688 | $2,611 |
| Intergovernmental | $792 | $413 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,259 | $1,501 |
| Other | $3,202 | $5,349 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,611 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $699 | $408 |
| Highways & Roads | $443 | $402 |
| Education | $21 | $157 |
| Public Welfare | $1,247 | $3,035 |
| Hospitals | $170 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $669 | $1,980 |
| Housing | $2,701 | $4,362 |
| Sewerage | $66 | $266 |
| Utilities | $1,989 | $5,827 |
| Other | $5,907 | $7,844 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.