Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $20,200, a 1105% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Washington, DC edges Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 41/100 (grade D) to 35/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
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 Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Washington spends 91.7% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($223,140/person difference). Washington, DC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 41/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $4,070 |
| Other | $8,878 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,435 |
| Education | $956 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $2,498 |
| Health | $379 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $5,344 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.