Hamilton, OH vs Cleveland, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hamilton, OH outspends Cleveland, OH by a wide margin per resident — $116,276 versus $23,088, a 404% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cleveland, OH edges Hamilton, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Hamilton, OH reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cleveland, OH carries $1,253 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Hamilton, OH leads with fire protection at $2,102 per resident, while Cleveland, OH leads with parks and recreation at $879.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Hamilton, OH and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
Summary
Hamilton spends 403.6% more per capita than Cleveland ($93,188/person difference). Cleveland, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $604 | $470 |
| Sales Tax | $3,499 | $230 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $404 |
| Intergovernmental | $204,195 | $12,511 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $8,026 |
| Other | $71,987 | $1,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $2,102 | $633 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $65 |
| Public Welfare | $3,373 | $184 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $147 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,125 | $879 |
| Housing | $15,570 | $6,008 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $250 |
| Utilities | $50,129 | $5,621 |
| Other | $43,891 | $8,945 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.