Mobile, AL vs Huntsville, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Huntsville, AL and Mobile, AL spend within 1.6% of each other per resident — $16,033 versus $15,777 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Huntsville, AL edges Mobile, AL on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 58/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Mobile, AL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Huntsville, AL carries $1,279 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 Huntsville, AL leads with parks and recreation at $1,600.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Mobile, AL at 111% of total revenue, whereas Huntsville, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Huntsville spends 1.6% more per capita than Mobile ($255/person difference). Huntsville, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $833 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $656 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,338 | $4,511 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,558 |
| Other | $1,479 | $2,647 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $537 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,010 | $637 |
| Highways & Roads | $501 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $60 |
| Public Welfare | $2,357 | $708 |
| Health | $0 | $354 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $692 |
| Parks & Recreation | $524 | $1,600 |
| Housing | $2,998 | $2,611 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $136 |
| Utilities | $791 | $2,983 |
| Other | $5,930 | $6,253 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.