Dayton, OH vs Cincinnati, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cincinnati, OH spends 45% more per resident than Dayton, OH: $24,651 against $16,978. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Cincinnati, OH holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dayton, OH — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Cincinnati, OH reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Dayton, OH carries $16 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dayton, OH leads with fire protection at $855 per resident, while Cincinnati, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,030.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Dayton, OH at 52% of total revenue, whereas Cincinnati, OH relies most on charges and fees at 16%.
Summary
Cincinnati spends 31.1% more per capita than Dayton ($7,673/person difference). Cincinnati, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $30 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $210 | $988 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $22 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,236 | $738 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,744 | $6,264 |
| Other | $5,977 | $2,429 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $855 | $1,931 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $259 |
| Public Welfare | $2,147 | $988 |
| Hospitals | $677 | $1,630 |
| Parks & Recreation | $232 | $2,030 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $5,569 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $312 |
| Utilities | $2,873 | $5,619 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $435 |
| Other | $6,059 | $5,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.