Columbus, GA vs South Fulton, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Fulton, GA spends 50% more per resident than Columbus, GA: $23,211 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 48/100 (grade D) for South Fulton, GA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
South Fulton, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, GA carries $37 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Columbus, GA leads with police at $1,611 per resident, while South Fulton, GA leads with parks and recreation at $985.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Columbus, GA and 1390% in South Fulton, GA.
Summary
South Fulton spends 33.1% more per capita than Columbus ($7,688/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 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $369 |
| Income Tax | $688 | $1,634 |
| Intergovernmental | $792 | $416 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,259 | $1,624 |
| Other | $3,202 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,611 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $699 | $456 |
| Highways & Roads | $443 | $129 |
| Education | $21 | $138 |
| Public Welfare | $1,247 | $1,252 |
| Hospitals | $170 | $381 |
| Parks & Recreation | $669 | $985 |
| Housing | $2,701 | $2,512 |
| Sewerage | $66 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,989 | $4,087 |
| Other | $5,907 | $13,271 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.