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

Las Vegas, NV vs Albuquerque, NM

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Albuquerque, NM outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $17,237 versus $9,085, a 90% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Las Vegas, NV edges Albuquerque, NM on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 82/100 (grade A) to 81/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Albuquerque, NM carries $613 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Las Vegas, NV at $1,028 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.

Summary

Albuquerque spends 47.3% more per capita than Las Vegas ($8,152/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Las Vegas, NV
Pop. 644,835
A
82/100
Budget Balance66
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Albuquerque, NM
Pop. 562,551
A
81/100
Budget Balance68
Debt Burden94
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Las Vegas
Albuquerque
Total Spending
$5.9B
$9.7B
Spending / Capita
$9,085
$17,237
Total Revenue
$5.3B
$13.3B
Revenue / Capita
$8,251
$23,652
Total Debt
$0
$344.9M
Debt / Capita
$0
$613
Population
644,835
562,551
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Las Vegas$945
Albuquerque$0
Fire Protection
Las Vegas$280
Albuquerque$440
Highways & Roads
Las Vegas$45
Albuquerque$172
Parks & Recreation
Las Vegas$1,028
Albuquerque$1,990
Health
Las Vegas$0
Albuquerque$291

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasAlbuquerque
Property Tax
$50
$36
Sales Tax
$386
$355
Income Tax
$0
$1,580
Intergovernmental
$1,137
$1,897
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,633
Other
$2,806
$2,174

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasAlbuquerque
Police
$945
$0
Fire Protection
$280
$440
Highways & Roads
$45
$172
Public Welfare
$705
$419
Health
$0
$291
Hospitals
$356
$328
Parks & Recreation
$1,028
$1,990
Housing
$23
$4,080
Sewerage
$332
$0
Utilities
$129
$5,212
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,096
Other
$5,243
$3,209
A
Las Vegas, NV
Fiscal Health Score: 82/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Albuquerque, NM
Fiscal Health Score: 81/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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