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

Dothan, AL vs Auburn, AL

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Dothan, AL spends 44% more per resident than Auburn, AL: $17,116 against $11,856. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 68/100 (grade B) for Dothan, AL — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Dothan, AL at $4,666 per resident and in Auburn, AL at $934.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Dothan, AL at 26% of total revenue, whereas Auburn, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.

Summary

Dothan spends 44.4% more per capita than Auburn ($5,261/person difference). Auburn, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Dothan, AL
Pop. 70,699
B
68/100
Budget Balance31
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Auburn, AL
Pop. 76,660
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Dothan
Auburn
Total Spending
$1.2B
$908.9M
Spending / Capita
$17,116
$11,856
Total Revenue
$905.6M
$1.2B
Revenue / Capita
$12,809
$15,016
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
70,699
76,660
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Dothan$290
Auburn$0
Fire Protection
Dothan$632
Auburn$551
Highways & Roads
Dothan$290
Auburn$0
Parks & Recreation
Dothan$4,666
Auburn$934
Health
Dothan$0
Auburn$328

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

DothanAuburn
Sales Tax
$671
$22
Income Tax
$756
$713
Intergovernmental
$919
$15,016
Charges & Fees
$1,664
$1,773
Other
$3,341
$3,814

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

DothanAuburn
Police
$290
$0
Fire Protection
$632
$551
Highways & Roads
$290
$0
Public Welfare
$1,177
$1,001
Health
$0
$328
Hospitals
$126
$1,012
Parks & Recreation
$4,666
$934
Housing
$3,247
$2,229
Sewerage
$309
$182
Utilities
$2,759
$1,765
Other
$3,622
$3,853
B
Dothan, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 68/100
Good fiscal health
A
Auburn, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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