Hillsboro, OR vs Salem, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hillsboro, OR spends 17% more per resident than Salem, OR: $18,698 against $15,959. 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 43/100 (grade D) for Hillsboro, OR — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Salem, OR carries the lighter load at $1,019 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 Salem, OR at $899.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 58% of total revenue in Hillsboro, OR and 12% in Salem, OR.
Summary
Hillsboro spends 17.2% more per capita than Salem ($2,740/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 | $1,352 | $29 |
| Sales Tax | $429 | $301 |
| Intergovernmental | $11,490 | $5,706 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,448 | $2,510 |
| Other | $5,341 | $5,114 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $449 | $185 |
| Highways & Roads | $32 | $285 |
| Education | $206 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,428 | $1,100 |
| Health | $1,111 | $311 |
| Hospitals | $751 | $2,834 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,096 | $899 |
| Housing | $4,102 | $3,037 |
| Sewerage | $777 | $317 |
| Utilities | $2,101 | $1,581 |
| Other | $4,645 | $5,409 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.