Lorain, OH vs Toledo, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lorain, OH outspends Toledo, OH by a wide margin per resident — $16,642 versus $5,129, a 224% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lorain, OH edges Toledo, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lorain, OH leads with fire protection at $405 per resident, while Toledo, OH leads with parks and recreation at $306.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 73% of total revenue in Lorain, OH and 22847% in Toledo, OH.
Summary
Lorain spends 224.5% more per capita than Toledo ($11,513/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 | $142 |
| Intergovernmental | $622 | $9 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,379 |
| Other | $6,102 | $9,201 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $405 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,099 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $931 | $1,874 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $306 |
| Housing | $619 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $117 |
| Utilities | $1,639 | $1,283 |
| Interest on Debt | $301 | $0 |
| Other | $10,644 | $1,550 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.