Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN spends 42% more per resident than Chicago, IL: $48,948 against $34,551. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 41.7% more per capita than Chicago ($14,397/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $2,847 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $930 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $1,858 |
| Health | $672 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $129 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.