Madison, AL vs Auburn, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Auburn, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $11,856, a 119% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 36-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: Madison, AL leads with fire protection at $2,129 per resident, while Auburn, AL leads with parks and recreation at $934.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Madison, AL and 100% in Auburn, AL.
Summary
Madison spends 119.4% more per capita than Auburn ($14,160/person difference). Auburn, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $73 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $22 |
| Income Tax | $2,566 | $713 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,683 | $15,016 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,300 | $1,773 |
| Other | $4,323 | $3,814 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,061 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,129 | $551 |
| Public Welfare | $5,542 | $1,001 |
| Health | $0 | $328 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,012 |
| Parks & Recreation | $799 | $934 |
| Housing | $5,194 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $182 |
| Utilities | $3,593 | $1,765 |
| Other | $6,698 | $3,853 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.