Miami, FL vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL and Miami, FL spend within 11.6% of each other per resident — $31,456 versus $28,195 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Miami, FL and Jacksonville, FL both land at 53/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 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 Jacksonville, FL at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 10.4% more per capita than Miami ($3,261/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,119 |
| Other | $1,399 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $176 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,942 |
| Other | $8,572 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.