Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Owensboro, KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spends 47% more per resident than Owensboro, KY: $20,200 against $13,719. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Owensboro, KY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 47-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Owensboro, KY reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries $3,553 per resident. 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 Owensboro, KY leads with parks and recreation at $925.
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 Owensboro, KY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 47.2% more per capita than Owensboro ($6,481/person difference). Owensboro, KY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $366 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $1,330 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $12,627 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $2,601 |
| Other | $8,878 | $5,535 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $0 |
| Education | $956 | $459 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $1,139 |
| Health | $379 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $1,646 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $925 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $1,738 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $53 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $2,558 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $370 |
| Other | $5,344 | $4,831 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.