Columbus, OH vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL spends 50% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $28,195 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Miami, FL edges Columbus, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
Summary
Miami spends 33.1% more per capita than Columbus ($9,337/person difference). Miami, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $0 |
| Other | $5,248 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $7,399 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $109 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $699 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $1,295 |
| Other | $7,595 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.