Las Vegas, NV vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $9,085, a 648% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 70/100 (grade B) for Baltimore, MD — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Baltimore, MD relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Baltimore spends 86.6% more per capita than Las Vegas ($58,850/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,192 |
| Other | $2,806 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $676 |
| Education | $0 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $714 |
| Health | $0 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $384 |
| Housing | $23 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $87 |
| Utilities | $129 | $3,809 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $5,243 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.