Gaithersburg, MD vs Frederick, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Frederick, MD outspends Gaithersburg, MD by a wide margin per resident — $160,619 versus $9,479, a 1595% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Frederick, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 55/100 (grade C) for Gaithersburg, MD — a 8-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 Frederick, MD leads with education at $97,323.
Summary
Frederick spends 94.1% more per capita than Gaithersburg ($151,140/person difference). Frederick, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $530 | $304 |
| Income Tax | $266 | $3,688 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $16,425 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,352 |
| Other | $864 | $10,900 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,597 |
| Fire Protection | $647 | $3,051 |
| Highways & Roads | $280 | $1,430 |
| Education | $0 | $97,323 |
| Public Welfare | $932 | $2,207 |
| Hospitals | $452 | $2,058 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,507 | $1,503 |
| Housing | $1,611 | $5,157 |
| Sewerage | $254 | $249 |
| Utilities | $541 | $6,503 |
| Interest on Debt | $263 | $1,189 |
| General Admin | $0 | $484 |
| Other | $2,991 | $36,868 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.