Murfreesboro, TN vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Murfreesboro, TN by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $18,812, a 160% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN edges Murfreesboro, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 47/100 (grade D) to 44/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries the lighter load at $2,292 per resident versus $2,467 for Murfreesboro, TN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Murfreesboro, TN at $7,574 per resident and in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at $21,061.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Murfreesboro, TN and 10% in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 61.6% more per capita than Murfreesboro ($30,136/person difference). Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 47/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $355 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $349 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $27,007 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,562 | $2,444 |
| Other | $40 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $558 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $87 | $11 |
| Education | $7,574 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $752 | $738 |
| Health | $86 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $300 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,074 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $2,655 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $133 | $217 |
| Utilities | $2,530 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $203 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $0 | $2,081 |
| Other | $2,861 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.