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

Las Vegas, NV vs Jacksonville, FL

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Jacksonville, FL outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $9,085, a 246% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. 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 Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Jacksonville, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.

Summary

Jacksonville spends 71.1% more per capita than Las Vegas ($22,371/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
Jacksonville, FL
Pop. 950,203
C
53/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency36
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Las Vegas
Jacksonville
Total Spending
$5.9B
$29.9B
Spending / Capita
$9,085
$31,456
Total Revenue
$5.3B
$50.9B
Revenue / Capita
$8,251
$53,517
Total Debt
$0
$2.7B
Debt / Capita
$0
$2,821
Population
644,835
950,203
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Las Vegas$945
Jacksonville$18
Fire Protection
Las Vegas$280
Jacksonville$9,436
Highways & Roads
Las Vegas$45
Jacksonville$0
Parks & Recreation
Las Vegas$1,028
Jacksonville$1,329
Health
Las Vegas$0
Jacksonville$332

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasJacksonville
Property Tax
$50
$10
Sales Tax
$386
$233
Income Tax
$0
$762
Intergovernmental
$1,137
$7,348
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,119
Other
$2,806
$4,705

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasJacksonville
Police
$945
$18
Fire Protection
$280
$9,436
Highways & Roads
$45
$0
Public Welfare
$705
$486
Health
$0
$332
Hospitals
$356
$557
Parks & Recreation
$1,028
$1,329
Housing
$23
$5,572
Sewerage
$332
$176
Utilities
$129
$1,835
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,942
Other
$5,243
$9,771
A
Las Vegas, NV
Fiscal Health Score: 82/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Jacksonville, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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