El Paso, TX vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA and El Paso, TX spend within 4.9% of each other per resident — $25,457 versus $24,259 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — 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: El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in El Paso, TX and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 4.7% more per capita than El Paso ($1,198/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $65 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $12 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $690 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $31 | $5,645 |
| Other | $550 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,159 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $233 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $83 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $299 | $1,587 |
| Hospitals | $11 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $151 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $958 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $6 | $343 |
| Utilities | $224 | $8,026 |
| Interest on Debt | $40 | $0 |
| General Admin | $17,951 | $0 |
| Other | $3,145 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.