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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Memphis, TN vs Albuquerque, NM

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Memphis, TN spends 28% more per resident than Albuquerque, NM: $22,111 against $17,237. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 65/100 (grade B) for Memphis, TN — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Memphis, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.

Summary

Memphis spends 28.3% more per capita than Albuquerque ($4,873/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Memphis, TN
Pop. 630,027
B
65/100
Budget Balance52
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency79
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Albuquerque, NM
Pop. 562,551
A
81/100
Budget Balance68
Debt Burden94
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Memphis
Albuquerque
Total Spending
$13.9B
$9.7B
Spending / Capita
$22,111
$17,237
Total Revenue
$21.5B
$13.3B
Revenue / Capita
$34,065
$23,652
Total Debt
$191.2M
$344.9M
Debt / Capita
$303
$613
Population
630,027
562,551
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Memphis$469
Albuquerque$440
Highways & Roads
Memphis$277
Albuquerque$172
Parks & Recreation
Memphis$1,397
Albuquerque$1,990
Health
Memphis$391
Albuquerque$291

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

MemphisAlbuquerque
Property Tax
$10
$36
Sales Tax
$496
$355
Income Tax
$1,218
$1,580
Intergovernmental
$34,065
$1,897
Charges & Fees
$2,077
$2,633
Other
$3,994
$2,174

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

MemphisAlbuquerque
Fire Protection
$469
$440
Highways & Roads
$277
$172
Public Welfare
$630
$419
Health
$391
$291
Hospitals
$1,677
$328
Parks & Recreation
$1,397
$1,990
Housing
$4,683
$4,080
Utilities
$2,578
$5,212
Interest on Debt
$1,158
$1,096
Other
$8,850
$3,209
B
Memphis, TN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health
A
Albuquerque, NM
Fiscal Health Score: 81/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.