New Orleans, LA vs Shreveport, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Orleans, LA outspends Shreveport, LA by a wide margin per resident — $32,984 versus $17,313, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Shreveport, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for New Orleans, LA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Shreveport, LA carries the lighter load at $1,271 per resident versus $2,288 for New Orleans, LA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New Orleans, LA leads with fire protection at $1,044 per resident, while Shreveport, LA leads with parks and recreation at $1,799.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 18% of total revenue in New Orleans, LA and 8% in Shreveport, LA.
Summary
New Orleans spends 90.5% more per capita than Shreveport ($15,671/person difference). Shreveport, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $62 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $327 | $872 |
| Income Tax | $993 | $653 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,013 | $48 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,241 | $1,867 |
| Other | $5,501 | $3,306 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,044 | $241 |
| Highways & Roads | $271 | $235 |
| Education | $951 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,197 | $212 |
| Health | $507 | $860 |
| Hospitals | $5,002 | $2,034 |
| Parks & Recreation | $966 | $1,799 |
| Housing | $4,479 | $3,509 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $235 |
| Utilities | $4,300 | $1,995 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $810 |
| General Admin | $1,865 | $0 |
| Other | $12,243 | $5,384 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.