Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Cape Coral, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL outspends Cape Coral, FL by a wide margin per resident — $37,099 versus $14,436, a 157% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cape Coral, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Fort Lauderdale, FL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Fort Lauderdale, FL carries the lighter load at $1,183 per resident versus $2,046 for Cape Coral, FL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Fort Lauderdale, FL at $7,663 per resident and in Cape Coral, FL at $3,232.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fort Lauderdale, FL at 18% of total revenue, whereas Cape Coral, FL relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 157.0% more per capita than Cape Coral ($22,663/person difference). Cape Coral, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,496 | $384 |
| Income Tax | $1,238 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,700 | $177 |
| Charges & Fees | $9,057 | $1,811 |
| Other | $1,118 | $3,015 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,663 | $3,232 |
| Education | $0 | $1,446 |
| Public Welfare | $619 | $699 |
| Hospitals | $518 | $15 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,357 | $952 |
| Housing | $7,339 | $2,474 |
| Sewerage | $1,517 | $465 |
| Utilities | $7,411 | $481 |
| Interest on Debt | $77 | $0 |
| Other | $9,599 | $4,672 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.