Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Hialeah, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL outspends Hialeah, FL by a wide margin per resident — $37,099 versus $10,232, a 263% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Hialeah, FL edges Fort Lauderdale, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Hialeah, FL carries the lighter load at $4 per resident versus $1,183 for Fort Lauderdale, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Lauderdale, FL leads with fire protection at $7,663 per resident, while Hialeah, FL leads with parks and recreation at $1,080.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fort Lauderdale, FL at 18% of total revenue, whereas Hialeah, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 127%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 262.6% more per capita than Hialeah ($26,867/person difference). Hialeah, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $4 |
| Sales Tax | $1,496 | $46 |
| Income Tax | $1,238 | $951 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,700 | $7,211 |
| Charges & Fees | $9,057 | $1,545 |
| Other | $1,118 | $2,932 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,663 | $404 |
| Public Welfare | $619 | $199 |
| Health | $0 | $86 |
| Hospitals | $518 | $134 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,357 | $1,080 |
| Housing | $7,339 | $2,892 |
| Sewerage | $1,517 | $82 |
| Utilities | $7,411 | $1,185 |
| Interest on Debt | $77 | $116 |
| Other | $9,599 | $4,055 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.