Montgomery, AL vs Madison, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $4,738, a 449% 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 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 20-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 Montgomery, AL at $555 per resident and in Madison, AL at $2,129.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Montgomery, AL and 100% in Madison, AL.
Summary
Madison spends 81.8% more per capita than Montgomery ($21,278/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 | $3 | $73 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,566 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,517 | $8,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,300 |
| Other | $442 | $4,323 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $458 | $2,061 |
| Fire Protection | $555 | $2,129 |
| Public Welfare | $615 | $5,542 |
| Parks & Recreation | $127 | $799 |
| Housing | $1,155 | $5,194 |
| Utilities | $28 | $3,593 |
| Other | $1,799 | $6,698 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.