Dothan, AL vs Madison, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL spends 52% more per resident than Dothan, AL: $26,015 against $17,116. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Dothan, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 24-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dothan, AL leads with parks and recreation at $4,666 per resident, while Madison, AL leads with fire protection at $2,129.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Dothan, AL at 26% of total revenue, whereas Madison, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Madison spends 34.2% more per capita than Dothan ($8,899/person difference). Dothan, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $73 |
| Sales Tax | $671 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $756 | $2,566 |
| Intergovernmental | $919 | $8,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,664 | $3,300 |
| Other | $3,341 | $4,323 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $290 | $2,061 |
| Fire Protection | $632 | $2,129 |
| Highways & Roads | $290 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,177 | $5,542 |
| Hospitals | $126 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,666 | $799 |
| Housing | $3,247 | $5,194 |
| Sewerage | $309 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,759 | $3,593 |
| Other | $3,622 | $6,698 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.