Jacksonville, FL vs Cape Coral, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Cape Coral, FL by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $14,436, a 118% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cape Coral, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Cape Coral, FL carries the lighter load at $2,046 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Jacksonville, FL at $9,436 per resident and in Cape Coral, FL at $3,232.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Jacksonville, FL at 14% of total revenue, whereas Cape Coral, FL relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 117.9% more per capita than Cape Coral ($17,020/person difference). Cape Coral, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $384 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $177 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $1,811 |
| Other | $4,705 | $3,015 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $3,232 |
| Education | $0 | $1,446 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $699 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $15 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $952 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $2,474 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $465 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $481 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $0 |
| Other | $9,771 | $4,672 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.