Mobile, AL vs Decatur, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Decatur, AL and Mobile, AL spend within 8.9% of each other per resident — $17,185 versus $15,777 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Mobile, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 46/100 (grade D) for Decatur, AL — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Mobile, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Decatur, AL carries $1,290 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 Decatur, AL leads with parks and recreation at $2,612.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Mobile, AL at 111% of total revenue, whereas Decatur, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Decatur spends 8.2% more per capita than Mobile ($1,408/person difference). Mobile, AL 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 | $855 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $975 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,360 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,338 | $37,427 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,804 |
| Other | $1,479 | $4,387 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $537 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,010 | $254 |
| Highways & Roads | $501 | $95 |
| Education | $0 | $43 |
| Public Welfare | $2,357 | $1,023 |
| Health | $0 | $66 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,729 |
| Parks & Recreation | $524 | $2,612 |
| Housing | $2,998 | $2,549 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $164 |
| Utilities | $791 | $3,362 |
| Other | $5,930 | $5,289 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.