Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX and Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spend within 7.8% of each other per resident — $21,772 versus $20,200 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Austin, TX carries the lighter load at $1,229 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at 103% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Austin spends 7.2% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($1,572/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $3,247 |
| Other | $8,878 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $634 |
| Education | $956 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $1,837 |
| Health | $379 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $865 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $0 |
| Other | $5,344 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.