Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Los Angeles, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.