Dayton, OH vs Cleveland, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cleveland, OH spends 36% more per resident than Dayton, OH: $23,088 against $16,978. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Cleveland, OH holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dayton, OH — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Dayton, OH carries the lighter load at $16 per resident versus $1,253 for Cleveland, OH. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dayton, OH leads with fire protection at $855 per resident, while Cleveland, OH leads with parks and recreation at $879.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Dayton, OH at 52% of total revenue, whereas Cleveland, OH relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Cleveland spends 26.5% more per capita than Dayton ($6,110/person difference). Cleveland, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $30 | $470 |
| Sales Tax | $210 | $230 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $404 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,236 | $12,511 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,744 | $8,026 |
| Other | $5,977 | $1,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $855 | $633 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $65 |
| Public Welfare | $2,147 | $184 |
| Hospitals | $677 | $147 |
| Parks & Recreation | $232 | $879 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $6,008 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $250 |
| Utilities | $2,873 | $5,621 |
| Other | $6,059 | $8,945 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.