Mobile, AL vs Birmingham, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Birmingham, AL outspends Mobile, AL by a wide margin per resident — $30,790 versus $15,777, a 95% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Mobile, AL and Birmingham, AL both land at 55/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Mobile, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Birmingham, AL carries $2,823 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mobile, AL leads with fire protection at $2,010 per resident, while Birmingham, AL leads with parks and recreation at $1,823.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Mobile, AL at 111% of total revenue, whereas Birmingham, AL relies most on charges and fees at 13%.
Summary
Birmingham spends 48.8% more per capita than Mobile ($15,013/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 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $281 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,338 | $468 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $10,460 |
| Other | $1,479 | $734 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $537 | $22 |
| Fire Protection | $2,010 | $1,152 |
| Highways & Roads | $501 | $848 |
| Public Welfare | $2,357 | $2,110 |
| Health | $0 | $683 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,505 |
| Parks & Recreation | $524 | $1,823 |
| Housing | $2,998 | $5,487 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $594 |
| Utilities | $791 | $5,451 |
| Other | $5,930 | $11,115 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.