Huntsville, AL vs Madison, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Huntsville, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $16,033, a 62% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Huntsville, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Madison, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Huntsville, AL carries $1,279 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Huntsville, AL leads with parks and recreation at $1,600 per resident, while Madison, AL leads with fire protection at $2,129.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Huntsville, AL and 100% in Madison, AL.
Summary
Madison spends 38.4% more per capita than Huntsville ($9,983/person difference). Huntsville, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $73 |
| Sales Tax | $833 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $656 | $2,566 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,511 | $8,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,558 | $3,300 |
| Other | $2,647 | $4,323 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,061 |
| Fire Protection | $637 | $2,129 |
| Education | $60 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $708 | $5,542 |
| Health | $354 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $692 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,600 | $799 |
| Housing | $2,611 | $5,194 |
| Sewerage | $136 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,593 |
| Other | $6,253 | $6,698 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.