Lorain, OH vs Cincinnati, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cincinnati, OH spends 48% more per resident than Lorain, OH: $24,651 against $16,642. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Cincinnati, OH holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 60/100 (grade C) for Lorain, OH — a 25-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lorain, OH leads with fire protection at $405 per resident, while Cincinnati, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,030.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Lorain, OH at 73% of total revenue, whereas Cincinnati, OH relies most on charges and fees at 16%.
Summary
Cincinnati spends 32.5% more per capita than Lorain ($8,009/person difference). Cincinnati, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $241 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $988 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $22 |
| Intergovernmental | $622 | $738 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $6,264 |
| Other | $6,102 | $2,429 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $405 | $1,931 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $259 |
| Public Welfare | $2,099 | $988 |
| Hospitals | $931 | $1,630 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $2,030 |
| Housing | $619 | $5,569 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $312 |
| Utilities | $1,639 | $5,619 |
| Interest on Debt | $301 | $435 |
| Other | $10,644 | $5,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.