Miami, FL vs Fort Lauderdale, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Lauderdale, FL spends 32% more per resident than Miami, FL: $37,099 against $28,195. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Fort Lauderdale, FL edges Miami, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fort Lauderdale, FL carries $1,183 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Miami, FL at $7,399 per resident and in Fort Lauderdale, FL at $7,663.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Miami, FL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Fort Lauderdale, FL relies most on charges and fees at 18%.
Summary
Fort Lauderdale spends 24.0% more per capita than Miami ($8,904/person difference). Fort Lauderdale, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $1,496 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,238 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $1,700 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $9,057 |
| Other | $1,399 | $1,118 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $7,663 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $619 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $518 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $2,357 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $7,339 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $1,517 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $7,411 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $77 |
| Other | $8,572 | $9,599 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.