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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Hillsboro, OR vs Gresham, 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: Hillsboro, OR leads with parks and recreation at $3,096 per resident, while Gresham, OR leads with fire protection at $459.

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

Summary

Hillsboro spends 72.5% 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
Hillsboro, OR
Pop. 106,612
D
43/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity11
Trend Direction50
City B
Gresham, OR
Pop. 113,525
D
46/100
Budget Balance16
Debt Burden33
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

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

Per Capita Spending by Department

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

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

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

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

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

Compare More Cities

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