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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Columbus, OH vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 6.6% more per capita than Columbus ($1,342/person difference). Columbus, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 52/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Columbus, OH
Pop. 902,449
C
52/100
Budget Balance32
Debt Burden46
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency94
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
Budget Balance8
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Columbus
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Total Spending
$17.0B
$12.7B
Spending / Capita
$18,858
$20,200
Total Revenue
$0
$5.4B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$8,618
Total Debt
$1.0B
$2.2B
Debt / Capita
$1,145
$3,553
Population
902,449
629,176
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Columbus$0
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$701
Fire Protection
Columbus$1,016
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,132
Highways & Roads
Columbus$224
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$0
Parks & Recreation
Columbus$2,168
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,070
Education
Columbus$0
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$956
Health
Columbus$0
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$379

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

ColumbusLouisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Property Tax
$10
$0
Sales Tax
$234
$1,138
Income Tax
$1
$24
Intergovernmental
$0
$412
Charges & Fees
$2,389
$3,823
Other
$5,248
$8,878

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

ColumbusLouisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Police
$0
$701
Fire Protection
$1,016
$1,132
Highways & Roads
$224
$0
Education
$0
$956
Public Welfare
$878
$1,849
Health
$0
$379
Hospitals
$953
$779
Parks & Recreation
$2,168
$1,070
Housing
$4,303
$2,382
Sewerage
$1
$249
Utilities
$1,719
$3,844
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,517
Other
$7,595
$5,344
C
Columbus, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 52/100
Average fiscal health
D
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Fiscal Health Score: 35/100
Below average fiscal health

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