Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Columbus, OH by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $18,858, a 160% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Columbus, OH edges Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 52/100 (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.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 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 Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 159.6% more per capita than Columbus ($30,090/person difference). Columbus, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 52/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $2,389 |
| Other | $4,617 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $224 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $878 |
| Health | $672 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $1 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.