Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $20,200, a 71% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at $1,132 per resident and in Chicago, IL at $10,754.
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 Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 41.5% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($14,351/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $2,847 |
| Other | $8,878 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Education | $956 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $1,858 |
| Health | $379 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $122 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $129 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $0 |
| Other | $5,344 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.