Montgomery, AL vs Auburn, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Auburn, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $11,856 versus $4,738, a 150% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for Montgomery, AL — a 16-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Montgomery, AL leads with fire protection at $555 per resident, while Auburn, AL leads with parks and recreation at $934.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Montgomery, AL and 100% in Auburn, AL.
Summary
Auburn spends 60.0% more per capita than Montgomery ($7,118/person difference). Auburn, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $3 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $22 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $713 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,517 | $15,016 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,773 |
| Other | $442 | $3,814 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $458 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $555 | $551 |
| Public Welfare | $615 | $1,001 |
| Health | $0 | $328 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,012 |
| Parks & Recreation | $127 | $934 |
| Housing | $1,155 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $182 |
| Utilities | $28 | $1,765 |
| Other | $1,799 | $3,853 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.