Mount Vernon, NY vs Schenectady, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Schenectady, NY outspends Mount Vernon, NY by a wide margin per resident — $44,459 versus $18,214, a 144% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mount Vernon, NY edges Schenectady, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Schenectady, NY reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mount Vernon, NY carries $18 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mount Vernon, NY leads with parks and recreation at $950 per resident, while Schenectady, NY leads with police at $2,839.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Mount Vernon, NY and 100% in Schenectady, NY.
Summary
Schenectady spends 59.0% more per capita than Mount Vernon ($26,245/person difference). Mount Vernon, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $356 | $64 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,881 | $12,933 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,441 | $0 |
| Other | $532 | $4,840 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $46 | $2,839 |
| Fire Protection | $383 | $406 |
| Highways & Roads | $527 | $440 |
| Public Welfare | $335 | $1,436 |
| Health | $0 | $899 |
| Hospitals | $386 | $34 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $122 |
| Housing | $3,774 | $778 |
| Sewerage | $151 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,448 | $9,610 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $47 |
| Other | $9,214 | $27,849 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.