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

Decatur, AL vs Huntsville, AL

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

Summary

Decatur spends 7.2% more per capita than Huntsville ($1,153/person difference). Huntsville, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Decatur, AL
Pop. 57,525
D
46/100
Budget Balance60
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Huntsville, AL
Pop. 215,025
C
58/100
Budget Balance62
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency85
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Decatur
Huntsville
Total Spending
$988.6M
$3.4B
Spending / Capita
$17,185
$16,033
Total Revenue
$2.2B
$9.5B
Revenue / Capita
$37,427
$44,087
Total Debt
$74.2M
$275.0M
Debt / Capita
$1,290
$1,279
Population
57,525
215,025
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Decatur$254
Huntsville$637
Highways & Roads
Decatur$95
Huntsville$0
Parks & Recreation
Decatur$2,612
Huntsville$1,600
Education
Decatur$43
Huntsville$60
Health
Decatur$66
Huntsville$354

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

DecaturHuntsville
Property Tax
$855
$0
Sales Tax
$975
$833
Income Tax
$1,360
$656
Intergovernmental
$37,427
$4,511
Charges & Fees
$2,804
$2,558
Other
$4,387
$2,647

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

DecaturHuntsville
Fire Protection
$254
$637
Highways & Roads
$95
$0
Education
$43
$60
Public Welfare
$1,023
$708
Health
$66
$354
Hospitals
$1,729
$692
Parks & Recreation
$2,612
$1,600
Housing
$2,549
$2,611
Sewerage
$164
$136
Utilities
$3,362
$2,983
Other
$5,289
$6,253
D
Decatur, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 46/100
Below average fiscal health
C
Huntsville, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 58/100
Average fiscal health

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