Fresno, CA vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Columbus, OH by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $18,858, a 130% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Columbus, OH edges Fresno, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 52/100 (grade C) to 50/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168.
Summary
Fresno spends 130.1% more per capita than Columbus ($24,529/person difference). Columbus, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 52/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $2,389 |
| Other | $2,070 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $224 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $878 |
| Health | $599 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $7,595 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.