Montgomery, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tuscaloosa, AL outspends Montgomery, AL by a wide margin per resident — $10,894 versus $4,738, a 130% 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 Tuscaloosa, 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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Montgomery, AL leads with fire protection at $555 per resident, while Tuscaloosa, AL leads with police at $1,260.
Summary
Tuscaloosa spends 56.5% more per capita than Montgomery ($6,157/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 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,517 | $0 |
| Other | $442 | $791 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $458 | $1,260 |
| Fire Protection | $555 | $1,043 |
| Public Welfare | $615 | $2,419 |
| Health | $0 | $540 |
| Parks & Recreation | $127 | $375 |
| Housing | $1,155 | $1,916 |
| Utilities | $28 | $88 |
| Other | $1,799 | $3,252 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.