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

Las Vegas, NV vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $20,200 versus $9,085, a 122% 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 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 47-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries $3,553 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Las Vegas, NV and 103% in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY.

Summary

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 55.0% more per capita than Las Vegas ($11,115/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
Budget Balance8
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Las Vegas
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Total Spending
$5.9B
$12.7B
Spending / Capita
$9,085
$20,200
Total Revenue
$5.3B
$5.4B
Revenue / Capita
$8,251
$8,618
Total Debt
$0
$2.2B
Debt / Capita
$0
$3,553
Population
644,835
629,176
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Las Vegas$945
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$701
Fire Protection
Las Vegas$280
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,132
Highways & Roads
Las Vegas$45
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$0
Parks & Recreation
Las Vegas$1,028
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,070
Education
Las Vegas$0
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$956
Health
Las Vegas$0
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$379

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasLouisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Property Tax
$50
$0
Sales Tax
$386
$1,138
Income Tax
$0
$24
Intergovernmental
$1,137
$412
Charges & Fees
$0
$3,823
Other
$2,806
$8,878

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasLouisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Police
$945
$701
Fire Protection
$280
$1,132
Highways & Roads
$45
$0
Education
$0
$956
Public Welfare
$705
$1,849
Health
$0
$379
Hospitals
$356
$779
Parks & Recreation
$1,028
$1,070
Housing
$23
$2,382
Sewerage
$332
$249
Utilities
$129
$3,844
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,517
Other
$5,243
$5,344
A
Las Vegas, NV
Fiscal Health Score: 82/100
Excellent fiscal health
D
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Fiscal Health Score: 35/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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