Columbus, OH vs Sacramento, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA outspends Columbus, OH by a wide margin per resident — $71,020 versus $18,858, a 277% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sacramento, CA edges Columbus, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 57/100 (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.
Sacramento, CA 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 Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402.
Summary
Sacramento spends 73.4% more per capita than Columbus ($52,162/person difference). Sacramento, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $1,465 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $378 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $3,104 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $3,400 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $3,239 |
| Other | $5,248 | $5,072 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $5,402 |
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $2,466 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $2,684 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $3,470 |
| Health | $0 | $18 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $1,437 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $8,577 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $103 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $19,920 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $162 |
| Other | $7,595 | $26,782 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.