Macon-Bibb County, GA vs Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA spends 41% more per resident than Macon-Bibb County, GA: $20,643 against $14,678. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 78/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Macon-Bibb County, GA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Macon-Bibb County, GA leads with police at $1,334 per resident, while Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA leads with parks and recreation at $2,332.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Macon-Bibb County, GA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) spends 28.9% more per capita than Macon-Bibb County ($5,964/person difference). Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 78/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $1,045 |
| Income Tax | $828 | $715 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,434 | $2,956 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,578 |
| Other | $1,139 | $6,437 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,334 | $1,372 |
| Fire Protection | $918 | $771 |
| Highways & Roads | $646 | $459 |
| Public Welfare | $552 | $508 |
| Health | $252 | $722 |
| Hospitals | $559 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $659 | $2,332 |
| Housing | $1,875 | $2,708 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $183 |
| Utilities | $1,074 | $2,250 |
| Other | $6,669 | $9,338 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.