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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Los Angeles, CA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Los Angeles, CA outspends Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $48,948, a 75% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and Los Angeles, CA both land at 47/100 (grade D and D respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.

Los Angeles, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. 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 Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at 10% of total revenue, whereas Los Angeles, CA relies most on other revenue at 51%.

Summary

Los Angeles spends 42.7% more per capita than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) ($36,485/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

Budget Balance68
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Los Angeles, CA
Pop. 3,881,041
D
47/100
Budget Balance0
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity65
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)
Los Angeles
Total Spending
$33.5B
$331.6B
Spending / Capita
$48,948
$85,432
Total Revenue
$94.8B
$68.3B
Revenue / Capita
$138,595
$17,595
Total Debt
$1.6B
$0
Debt / Capita
$2,292
$0
Population
684,103
3,881,041
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$1,519
Los Angeles$4,111
Fire Protection
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$468
Los Angeles$1,057
Highways & Roads
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$11
Los Angeles$503
Parks & Recreation
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$1,015
Los Angeles$1,347
Education
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$21,061
Los Angeles$829
Health
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)$672
Los Angeles$409

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)Los Angeles
Property Tax
$0
$64
Sales Tax
$373
$77
Income Tax
$135
$307
Intergovernmental
$13,787
$134
Charges & Fees
$2,444
$459
Other
$4,617
$9,048

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance)Los Angeles
Police
$1,519
$4,111
Fire Protection
$468
$1,057
Highways & Roads
$11
$503
Education
$21,061
$829
Public Welfare
$738
$1,286
Health
$672
$409
Hospitals
$2,100
$2,135
Parks & Recreation
$1,015
$1,347
Housing
$4,231
$6,325
Sewerage
$217
$34
Utilities
$3,140
$21,992
Interest on Debt
$1,667
$630
General Admin
$2,081
$11,586
Other
$10,028
$33,189
D
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health
D
Los Angeles, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 47/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.