Hialeah, FL vs Fort Lauderdale, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL outspends Hialeah, FL by a wide margin per resident — $37,099 versus $10,232, a 263% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Hialeah, FL edges Fort Lauderdale, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Hialeah, FL carries the lighter load at $4 per resident versus $1,183 for Fort Lauderdale, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Hialeah, FL leads with parks and recreation at $1,080 per resident, while Fort Lauderdale, FL leads with fire protection at $7,663.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Hialeah, FL at 127% of total revenue, whereas Fort Lauderdale, FL relies most on charges and fees at 18%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 72.4% more per capita than Hialeah ($26,867/person difference). Hialeah, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $4 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $46 | $1,496 |
| Income Tax | $951 | $1,238 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,211 | $1,700 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,545 | $9,057 |
| Other | $2,932 | $1,118 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $404 | $7,663 |
| Public Welfare | $199 | $619 |
| Health | $86 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $134 | $518 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,080 | $2,357 |
| Housing | $2,892 | $7,339 |
| Sewerage | $82 | $1,517 |
| Utilities | $1,185 | $7,411 |
| Interest on Debt | $116 | $77 |
| Other | $4,055 | $9,599 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.