Mobile, AL vs Montgomery, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Mobile, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $15,777 versus $4,738, a 233% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Montgomery, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 55/100 (grade C) for Mobile, AL — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Mobile, AL at $2,010 per resident and in Montgomery, AL at $555.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Mobile, AL at 111% of total revenue, whereas Montgomery, AL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Mobile spends 233.0% more per capita than Montgomery ($11,040/person difference). Montgomery, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $3 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,338 | $2,517 |
| Other | $1,479 | $442 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $537 | $458 |
| Fire Protection | $2,010 | $555 |
| Highways & Roads | $501 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,357 | $615 |
| Parks & Recreation | $524 | $127 |
| Housing | $2,998 | $1,155 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $791 | $28 |
| Other | $5,930 | $1,799 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.