Long Beach, CA vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Long Beach, CA spend within 0.9% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $34,250 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Long Beach, CA edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Long Beach, CA leads with parks and recreation at $698 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 0.9% more per capita than Long Beach ($301/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,847 |
| Other | $8,836 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $1,858 |
| Health | $477 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $122 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $129 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $0 |
| Other | $16,533 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.