New York, NY vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $25,457, a 407% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
New York spends 407.2% more per capita than Atlanta ($103,662/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $5,645 |
| Other | $3,593 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $513 |
| Education | $37,892 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $1,587 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $343 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $8,026 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.