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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Johnson City, TN vs Franklin, TN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Johnson City, TN outspends Franklin, TN by a wide margin per resident — $29,659 versus $14,081, a 111% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Franklin, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 86/100 (grade A) against 23/100 (grade F) for Johnson City, TN — a 63-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Franklin, TN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Johnson City, TN carries $1,609 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Johnson City, TN leads with education at $14,043 per resident, while Franklin, TN leads with fire protection at $1,221.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Johnson City, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Franklin, TN relies most on other revenue at 19%.

Summary

Johnson City spends 110.6% more per capita than Franklin ($15,578/person difference). Franklin, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 86/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Johnson City, TN
Pop. 70,720
F
23/100
Budget Balance10
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Franklin, TN
Pop. 83,630
A
86/100
Budget Balance89
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency89
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Johnson City
Franklin
Total Spending
$2.1B
$1.2B
Spending / Capita
$29,659
$14,081
Total Revenue
$1.5B
$1.4B
Revenue / Capita
$21,169
$16,873
Total Debt
$113.8M
$0
Debt / Capita
$1,609
$0
Population
70,720
83,630
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Johnson City$304
Franklin$1,221
Highways & Roads
Johnson City$192
Franklin$0
Parks & Recreation
Johnson City$1,227
Franklin$755
Education
Johnson City$14,043
Franklin$0
Health
Johnson City$322
Franklin$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Johnson CityFranklin
Sales Tax
$228
$18
Income Tax
$2,303
$1,305
Intergovernmental
$21,169
$870
Charges & Fees
$3,131
$1,759
Other
$3,770
$3,204

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Johnson CityFranklin
Fire Protection
$304
$1,221
Highways & Roads
$192
$0
Education
$14,043
$0
Public Welfare
$2,007
$1,715
Health
$322
$0
Hospitals
$92
$1,026
Parks & Recreation
$1,227
$755
Housing
$2,442
$2,660
Utilities
$3,744
$2,599
Interest on Debt
$628
$412
Other
$4,657
$3,693
F
Johnson City, TN
Fiscal Health Score: 23/100
Critical fiscal distress
A
Franklin, TN
Fiscal Health Score: 86/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.