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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Omaha, NE vs Washington, DC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Washington, DC outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $11,180, a 2077% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 49-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Omaha, NE reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Omaha, NE leads with parks and recreation at $742 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Omaha, NE at 17% of total revenue, whereas Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.

Summary

Washington spends 95.4% more per capita than Omaha ($232,161/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Omaha, NE
Pop. 489,201
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Washington, DC
Pop. 670,587
D
41/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Omaha
Washington
Total Spending
$5.5B
$163.2B
Spending / Capita
$11,180
$243,341
Total Revenue
$13.2B
$186.2B
Revenue / Capita
$26,929
$277,701
Total Debt
$0
$1.7B
Debt / Capita
$0
$2,516
Population
489,201
670,587
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Omaha$0
Washington$4,183
Fire Protection
Omaha$0
Washington$4,262
Highways & Roads
Omaha$319
Washington$1,435
Parks & Recreation
Omaha$742
Washington$5,459
Education
Omaha$0
Washington$53,224
Health
Omaha$456
Washington$1,009

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

OmahaWashington
Property Tax
$624
$25
Sales Tax
$373
$991
Income Tax
$0
$141
Intergovernmental
$2,622
$18,754
Charges & Fees
$0
$4,070
Other
$4,672
$11,518

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

OmahaWashington
Police
$0
$4,183
Fire Protection
$0
$4,262
Highways & Roads
$319
$1,435
Education
$0
$53,224
Public Welfare
$1,521
$2,498
Health
$456
$1,009
Hospitals
$0
$17,668
Parks & Recreation
$742
$5,459
Housing
$3,045
$10,296
Sewerage
$0
$2,881
Utilities
$581
$88,990
Interest on Debt
$0
$58
General Admin
$0
$3,225
Other
$4,516
$48,155
A
Omaha, NE
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
D
Washington, DC
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.