Long Beach, CA vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $9,085, a 277% 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 67/100 (grade B) for Long Beach, CA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 12% of total revenue in Long Beach, CA and 34% in Las Vegas, NV.
Summary
Long Beach spends 277.0% more per capita than Las Vegas ($25,165/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $0 |
| Other | $8,836 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $705 |
| Health | $477 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $332 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $0 |
| Other | $16,533 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.