Gresham, OR vs Salem, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salem, OR spends 47% more per resident than Gresham, OR: $15,959 against $10,840. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Salem, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 46/100 (grade D) for Gresham, OR — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Gresham, OR carries the lighter load at $978 per resident versus $1,019 for Salem, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Gresham, OR leads with fire protection at $459 per resident, while Salem, OR leads with parks and recreation at $899.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gresham, OR and 12% in Salem, OR.
Summary
Salem spends 32.1% more per capita than Gresham ($5,119/person difference). Salem, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $28 | $29 |
| Sales Tax | $5 | $301 |
| Income Tax | $69 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,893 | $5,706 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,652 | $2,510 |
| Other | $3,781 | $5,114 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $459 | $185 |
| Highways & Roads | $184 | $285 |
| Public Welfare | $944 | $1,100 |
| Health | $0 | $311 |
| Hospitals | $662 | $2,834 |
| Parks & Recreation | $285 | $899 |
| Housing | $2,587 | $3,037 |
| Sewerage | $57 | $317 |
| Utilities | $1,126 | $1,581 |
| Other | $4,537 | $5,409 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.