Eugene, OR vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 44% more per resident than Eugene, OR: $23,675 against $16,408. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portland, OR edges Eugene, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 per resident versus $1,623 for Eugene, OR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Eugene, OR at $1,585 per resident and in Portland, OR at $2,477.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Eugene, OR at 28% of total revenue, whereas Portland, OR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
Portland spends 30.7% more per capita than Eugene ($7,266/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $717 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $931 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,493 | $3,883 |
| Other | $5,260 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $308 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $491 | $139 |
| Public Welfare | $861 | $3,607 |
| Health | $933 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $670 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,585 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $4,088 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $671 | $630 |
| Utilities | $1,674 | $1,845 |
| Other | $5,128 | $6,689 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.