Hoover, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hoover, AL spends 21% more per resident than Tuscaloosa, AL: $13,201 against $10,894. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hoover, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tuscaloosa, AL — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Hoover, AL leads with parks and recreation at $1,400 per resident, while Tuscaloosa, AL leads with police at $1,260.
Summary
Hoover spends 21.2% more per capita than Tuscaloosa ($2,307/person difference). Hoover, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $2 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,218 | $0 |
| Other | $845 | $791 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,260 |
| Fire Protection | $1,176 | $1,043 |
| Education | $545 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $516 | $2,419 |
| Health | $833 | $540 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,400 | $375 |
| Housing | $2,731 | $1,916 |
| Utilities | $800 | $88 |
| Other | $5,200 | $3,252 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.