Madison, AL vs Montgomery, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $4,738, a 449% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Montgomery, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 20-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Madison, AL at $2,129 per resident and in Montgomery, AL at $555.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Madison, AL and 100% in Montgomery, AL.
Summary
Madison spends 449.1% more per capita than Montgomery ($21,278/person difference). Montgomery, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $73 | $3 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $2,566 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,683 | $2,517 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,300 | $0 |
| Other | $4,323 | $442 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,061 | $458 |
| Fire Protection | $2,129 | $555 |
| Public Welfare | $5,542 | $615 |
| Parks & Recreation | $799 | $127 |
| Housing | $5,194 | $1,155 |
| Utilities | $3,593 | $28 |
| Other | $6,698 | $1,799 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.