Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Orlando, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL spends 19% more per resident than Orlando, FL: $37,099 against $31,123. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Orlando, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 73/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Fort Lauderdale, FL — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Orlando, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fort Lauderdale, FL carries $1,183 per resident. 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 Orlando, FL at $5,632.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fort Lauderdale, FL at 18% of total revenue, whereas Orlando, FL relies most on other revenue at 22%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 19.2% more per capita than Orlando ($5,976/person difference). Orlando, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 73/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,496 | $2,492 |
| Income Tax | $1,238 | $1,219 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,700 | $432 |
| Charges & Fees | $9,057 | $0 |
| Other | $1,118 | $6,520 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,663 | $5,632 |
| Public Welfare | $619 | $628 |
| Hospitals | $518 | $775 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,357 | $4,107 |
| Housing | $7,339 | $5,645 |
| Sewerage | $1,517 | $585 |
| Utilities | $7,411 | $1,262 |
| Interest on Debt | $77 | $0 |
| Other | $9,599 | $12,489 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.