Hillsboro, OR vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 27% more per resident than Hillsboro, OR: $23,675 against $18,698. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 43/100 (grade D) for Hillsboro, OR — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 per resident versus $8,726 for Hillsboro, OR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Hillsboro, OR at $3,096 per resident and in Portland, OR at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 58% of total revenue in Hillsboro, OR and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 21.0% more per capita than Hillsboro ($4,976/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,352 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $429 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $11,490 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,448 | $3,883 |
| Other | $5,341 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $449 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $32 | $139 |
| Education | $206 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,428 | $3,607 |
| Health | $1,111 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $751 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,096 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $4,102 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $777 | $630 |
| Utilities | $2,101 | $1,845 |
| Other | $4,645 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.