Memphis, TN vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL spends 42% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $31,456 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Memphis, TN and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 29.7% more per capita than Memphis ($9,346/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $2,119 |
| Other | $3,994 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $469 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $486 |
| Health | $391 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $176 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $1,942 |
| Other | $8,850 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.