Lafayette, LA vs Bossier City, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lafayette, LA outspends Bossier City, LA by a wide margin per resident — $30,028 versus $14,635, a 105% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bossier City, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 44/100 (grade D) for Lafayette, LA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bossier City, LA carries the lighter load at $1,280 per resident versus $1,334 for Lafayette, LA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lafayette, LA leads with fire protection at $1,967 per resident, while Bossier City, LA leads with parks and recreation at $1,616.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 10% of total revenue in Lafayette, LA and 6% in Bossier City, LA.
Summary
Lafayette spends 105.2% more per capita than Bossier City ($15,392/person difference). Bossier City, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,778 | $60 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $1,039 |
| Intergovernmental | $956 | $226 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,527 | $2,561 |
| Other | $3,792 | $4,072 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $615 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,967 | $346 |
| Highways & Roads | $355 | $283 |
| Education | $1,758 | $64 |
| Public Welfare | $1,573 | $372 |
| Health | $851 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,440 | $171 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,923 | $1,616 |
| Housing | $8,621 | $3,326 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $231 |
| Utilities | $3,202 | $2,287 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,013 | $0 |
| Other | $6,711 | $5,940 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.