Long Beach, CA vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Columbus, OH by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $18,858, a 82% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Long Beach, CA at $698 per resident and in Columbus, OH at $2,168.
Summary
Long Beach spends 81.6% more per capita than Columbus ($15,392/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,389 |
| Other | $8,836 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $878 |
| Health | $477 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $1 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $0 |
| Other | $16,533 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.