Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Gresham, OR vs Hillsboro, OR

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Hillsboro, OR outspends Gresham, OR by a wide margin per resident — $18,698 versus $10,840, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Gresham, OR edges Hillsboro, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 46/100 (grade D) to 43/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

On debt, Gresham, OR carries the lighter load at $978 per resident versus $8,726 for Hillsboro, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Gresham, OR leads with fire protection at $459 per resident, while Hillsboro, OR leads with parks and recreation at $3,096.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gresham, OR and 58% in Hillsboro, OR.

Summary

Hillsboro spends 42.0% more per capita than Gresham ($7,859/person difference). Gresham, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 46/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Gresham, OR
Pop. 113,525
D
46/100
Budget Balance16
Debt Burden33
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Hillsboro, OR
Pop. 106,612
D
43/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity11
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Gresham
Hillsboro
Total Spending
$1.2B
$2.0B
Spending / Capita
$10,840
$18,698
Total Revenue
$555.5M
$2.1B
Revenue / Capita
$4,893
$19,905
Total Debt
$111.1M
$930.3M
Debt / Capita
$978
$8,726
Population
113,525
106,612
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Gresham$459
Hillsboro$449
Highways & Roads
Gresham$184
Hillsboro$32
Parks & Recreation
Gresham$285
Hillsboro$3,096
Education
Gresham$0
Hillsboro$206
Health
Gresham$0
Hillsboro$1,111

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

GreshamHillsboro
Property Tax
$28
$1,352
Sales Tax
$5
$429
Income Tax
$69
$0
Intergovernmental
$4,893
$11,490
Charges & Fees
$1,652
$4,448
Other
$3,781
$5,341

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

GreshamHillsboro
Fire Protection
$459
$449
Highways & Roads
$184
$32
Education
$0
$206
Public Welfare
$944
$1,428
Health
$0
$1,111
Hospitals
$662
$751
Parks & Recreation
$285
$3,096
Housing
$2,587
$4,102
Sewerage
$57
$777
Utilities
$1,126
$2,101
Other
$4,537
$4,645
D
Gresham, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 46/100
Below average fiscal health
D
Hillsboro, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 43/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.