Huntsville, AL vs Auburn, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Huntsville, AL spends 35% more per resident than Auburn, AL: $16,033 against $11,856. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 58/100 (grade C) for Huntsville, AL — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Auburn, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Huntsville, AL carries $1,279 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Huntsville, AL at $1,600 per resident and in Auburn, AL at $934.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Huntsville, AL and 100% in Auburn, AL.
Summary
Huntsville spends 35.2% more per capita than Auburn ($4,177/person difference). Auburn, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $833 | $22 |
| Income Tax | $656 | $713 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,511 | $15,016 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,558 | $1,773 |
| Other | $2,647 | $3,814 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $637 | $551 |
| Education | $60 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $708 | $1,001 |
| Health | $354 | $328 |
| Hospitals | $692 | $1,012 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,600 | $934 |
| Housing | $2,611 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $136 | $182 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $1,765 |
| Other | $6,253 | $3,853 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.