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

Lincoln, NE vs Bellevue, NE

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Lincoln, NE outspends Bellevue, NE by a wide margin per resident — $11,125 versus $347, a 3102% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Bellevue, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 52/100 (grade C) for Lincoln, NE — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Bellevue, NE reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Lincoln, NE carries $788 per resident.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 333% of total revenue in Lincoln, NE and 100% in Bellevue, NE.

Summary

Lincoln spends 3102.4% more per capita than Bellevue ($10,777/person difference). Bellevue, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Lincoln, NE
Pop. 290,531
C
52/100
Budget Balance5
Debt Burden78
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Bellevue, NE
Pop. 63,336
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Lincoln
Bellevue
Total Spending
$3.2B
$22.0M
Spending / Capita
$11,125
$347
Total Revenue
$234.3M
$363.5M
Revenue / Capita
$806
$5,739
Total Debt
$229.0M
$0
Debt / Capita
$788
$0
Population
290,531
63,336
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Lincoln$499
Bellevue$0
Highways & Roads
Lincoln$209
Bellevue$0
Parks & Recreation
Lincoln$950
Bellevue$0
Health
Lincoln$317
Bellevue$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

LincolnBellevue
Sales Tax
$635
$35
Income Tax
$244
$680
Intergovernmental
$2,685
$5,739
Charges & Fees
$1,249
$0
Other
$1,773
$1,887

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

LincolnBellevue
Fire Protection
$499
$0
Highways & Roads
$209
$0
Public Welfare
$1,239
$0
Health
$317
$0
Hospitals
$233
$0
Parks & Recreation
$950
$0
Housing
$1,926
$0
Sewerage
$528
$347
Utilities
$1,632
$0
Interest on Debt
$521
$0
Other
$3,071
$0
C
Lincoln, NE
Fiscal Health Score: 52/100
Average fiscal health
A
Bellevue, NE
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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