Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 17% more per resident than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY: $23,675 against $20,200. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 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 Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477.
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 Portland, OR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
Portland spends 14.7% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($3,474/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $3,883 |
| Other | $8,878 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $139 |
| Education | $956 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $3,607 |
| Health | $379 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $630 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $1,845 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $0 |
| Other | $5,344 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.