Macon-Bibb County, GA vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Macon-Bibb County, GA by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $14,678, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Macon-Bibb County, GA — a 22-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 Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Macon-Bibb County, GA and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 42.3% more per capita than Macon-Bibb County ($10,779/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $828 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,434 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,645 |
| Other | $1,139 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,334 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $918 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $646 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $552 | $1,587 |
| Health | $252 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $559 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $659 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $1,875 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $343 |
| Utilities | $1,074 | $8,026 |
| Other | $6,669 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.