Gaithersburg, MD vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Gaithersburg, MD by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $9,479, a 617% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Gaithersburg, MD — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Gaithersburg, MD leads with parks and recreation at $1,507 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
Summary
Baltimore spends 86.0% more per capita than Gaithersburg ($58,456/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $530 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $266 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,192 |
| Other | $864 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $647 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $280 | $676 |
| Education | $0 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $932 | $714 |
| Health | $0 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $452 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,507 | $384 |
| Housing | $1,611 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $254 | $87 |
| Utilities | $541 | $3,809 |
| Interest on Debt | $263 | $0 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $2,991 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.