Naperville, IL vs Aurora, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Naperville, IL and Aurora, IL spend within 2.9% of each other per resident — $15,751 versus $15,301 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Aurora, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 45/100 (grade D) for Naperville, IL — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Aurora, IL carries the lighter load at $489 per resident versus $1,028 for Naperville, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Naperville, IL leads with health at $1,028 per resident, while Aurora, IL leads with parks and recreation at $494.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Naperville, IL at 68% of total revenue, whereas Aurora, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 5%.
Summary
Naperville spends 2.9% more per capita than Aurora ($450/person difference). Aurora, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $114 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $144 |
| Intergovernmental | $458 | $2,481 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,765 | $2,224 |
| Other | $2,388 | $1,114 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $216 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $922 |
| Health | $1,028 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $257 |
| Parks & Recreation | $544 | $494 |
| Housing | $0 | $4,836 |
| Utilities | $4,527 | $2,366 |
| Other | $9,652 | $6,210 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.