Jonesboro, AR vs Fayetteville, AR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fayetteville, AR spends 38% more per resident than Jonesboro, AR: $12,502 against $9,056. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Fayetteville, AR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 39/100 (grade D) for Jonesboro, AR — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Fayetteville, AR carries the lighter load at $925 per resident versus $2,919 for Jonesboro, AR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jonesboro, AR leads with parks and recreation at $523 per resident, while Fayetteville, AR leads with health at $800.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 145% of total revenue in Jonesboro, AR and 59% in Fayetteville, AR.
Summary
Fayetteville spends 27.6% more per capita than Jonesboro ($3,446/person difference). Fayetteville, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $8 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $12 | $1,543 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,523 | $7,947 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,640 | $2,512 |
| Other | $1,377 | $3,271 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $80 | $423 |
| Highways & Roads | $121 | $0 |
| Education | $42 | $32 |
| Public Welfare | $632 | $719 |
| Health | $0 | $800 |
| Hospitals | $108 | $109 |
| Parks & Recreation | $523 | $599 |
| Housing | $2,058 | $2,095 |
| Sewerage | $122 | $156 |
| Utilities | $1,520 | $3,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $191 | $0 |
| Other | $3,659 | $3,991 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.