Lorain, OH vs Parma, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lorain, OH outspends Parma, OH by a wide margin per resident — $16,642 versus $9,437, a 76% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lorain, OH edges Parma, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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: fire protection leads in Lorain, OH at $405 per resident and in Parma, OH at $682.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Lorain, OH at 73% of total revenue, whereas Parma, OH relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Lorain spends 76.3% more per capita than Parma ($7,205/person difference). Lorain, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $241 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $201 |
| Intergovernmental | $622 | $434 |
| Other | $6,102 | $356 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $405 | $682 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $211 |
| Public Welfare | $2,099 | $683 |
| Hospitals | $931 | $879 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $519 |
| Housing | $619 | $2,539 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $34 |
| Utilities | $1,639 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $301 | $0 |
| Other | $10,644 | $3,890 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.