Montgomery, AL vs Hoover, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hoover, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $13,201 versus $4,738, a 179% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Hoover, AL edges Montgomery, AL on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 64/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Hoover, AL leads with parks and recreation at $1,400.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Montgomery, AL and 100% in Hoover, AL.
Summary
Hoover spends 64.1% more per capita than Montgomery ($8,464/person difference). Hoover, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $3 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,517 | $10,218 |
| Other | $442 | $845 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $458 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $555 | $1,176 |
| Education | $0 | $545 |
| Public Welfare | $615 | $516 |
| Health | $0 | $833 |
| Parks & Recreation | $127 | $1,400 |
| Housing | $1,155 | $2,731 |
| Utilities | $28 | $800 |
| Other | $1,799 | $5,200 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.