Dothan, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dothan, AL spends 57% more per resident than Tuscaloosa, AL: $17,116 against $10,894. 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 55/100 (grade C) for Tuscaloosa, AL — a 13-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 Tuscaloosa, AL leads with police at $1,260.
Summary
Dothan spends 57.1% more per capita than Tuscaloosa ($6,222/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 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $671 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $756 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $919 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,664 | $0 |
| Other | $3,341 | $791 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $290 | $1,260 |
| Fire Protection | $632 | $1,043 |
| Highways & Roads | $290 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,177 | $2,419 |
| Health | $0 | $540 |
| Hospitals | $126 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,666 | $375 |
| Housing | $3,247 | $1,916 |
| Sewerage | $309 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,759 | $88 |
| Other | $3,622 | $3,252 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.