Gaithersburg, MD vs Rockville, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rockville, MD outspends Gaithersburg, MD by a wide margin per resident — $16,912 versus $9,479, a 78% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Rockville, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 55/100 (grade C) for Gaithersburg, MD — a 27-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Gaithersburg, MD at $1,507 per resident and in Rockville, MD at $3,552.
Summary
Rockville spends 44.0% more per capita than Gaithersburg ($7,434/person difference). Rockville, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $530 | $1,042 |
| Income Tax | $266 | $1,014 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $1,831 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,776 |
| Other | $864 | $3,295 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $647 | $1,156 |
| Highways & Roads | $280 | $570 |
| Public Welfare | $932 | $2,033 |
| Hospitals | $452 | $238 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,507 | $3,552 |
| Housing | $1,611 | $1,891 |
| Sewerage | $254 | $672 |
| Utilities | $541 | $2,475 |
| Interest on Debt | $263 | $0 |
| Other | $2,991 | $4,326 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.