Omaha, NE vs Grand Island, NE
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Grand Island, NE and Omaha, NE spend within 6.6% of each other per resident — $11,921 versus $11,180 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Omaha, NE edges Grand Island, NE on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 84/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Omaha, NE at $742 per resident and in Grand Island, NE at $1,442.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Omaha, NE and 14% in Grand Island, NE.
Summary
Grand Island spends 6.2% more per capita than Omaha ($741/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $624 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $648 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,622 | $26 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,495 |
| Other | $4,672 | $2,844 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $472 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $53 |
| Public Welfare | $1,521 | $1,645 |
| Health | $456 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $77 |
| Parks & Recreation | $742 | $1,442 |
| Housing | $3,045 | $2,141 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $195 |
| Utilities | $581 | $1,608 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $226 |
| Other | $4,516 | $4,062 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.