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

Dayton, OH vs Parma, OH

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Dayton, OH outspends Parma, OH by a wide margin per resident — $16,978 versus $9,437, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Parma, OH edges Dayton, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Parma, OH reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Dayton, OH carries $16 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Dayton, OH at $855 per resident and in Parma, OH at $682.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Dayton, OH at 52% of total revenue, whereas Parma, OH relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.

Summary

Dayton spends 79.9% more per capita than Parma ($7,541/person difference). Parma, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Dayton, OH
Pop. 137,305
C
57/100
Budget Balance12
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency79
Revenue Diversity24
Trend Direction50
City B
Parma, OH
Pop. 80,587
C
59/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Dayton
Parma
Total Spending
$2.3B
$760.5M
Spending / Capita
$16,978
$9,437
Total Revenue
$1.6B
$35.0M
Revenue / Capita
$11,491
$434
Total Debt
$2.1M
$0
Debt / Capita
$16
$0
Population
137,305
80,587
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Dayton$855
Parma$682
Highways & Roads
Dayton$0
Parma$211
Parks & Recreation
Dayton$232
Parma$519

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

DaytonParma
Property Tax
$30
$0
Sales Tax
$210
$201
Intergovernmental
$2,236
$434
Charges & Fees
$3,744
$0
Other
$5,977
$356

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

DaytonParma
Fire Protection
$855
$682
Highways & Roads
$0
$211
Public Welfare
$2,147
$683
Hospitals
$677
$879
Parks & Recreation
$232
$519
Housing
$4,133
$2,539
Sewerage
$0
$34
Utilities
$2,873
$0
Other
$6,059
$3,890
C
Dayton, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health
C
Parma, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 59/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.