Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Memphis, TN by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $22,111, a 121% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 121.4% more per capita than Memphis ($26,837/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $2,077 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $277 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $630 |
| Health | $672 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $1,158 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.