Jacksonville, FL vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN spends 56% more per resident than Jacksonville, FL: $48,948 against $31,456. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Jacksonville, FL edges Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries the lighter load at $2,292 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 10% in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 35.7% more per capita than Jacksonville ($17,492/person difference). Jacksonville, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $2,444 |
| Other | $4,705 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $11 |
| Education | $0 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $738 |
| Health | $332 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $217 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $0 | $2,081 |
| Other | $9,771 | $10,028 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.