Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Orlando, FL vs Tallahassee, FL

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Orlando, FL and Tallahassee, FL spend within 4.2% of each other per resident — $31,123 versus $29,857 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

Orlando, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 73/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Tallahassee, FL — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Orlando, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tallahassee, FL carries $543 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Orlando, FL at $5,632 per resident and in Tallahassee, FL at $6,805.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Orlando, FL at 22% of total revenue, whereas Tallahassee, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.

Summary

Orlando spends 4.2% more per capita than Tallahassee ($1,266/person difference). Orlando, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 73/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Orlando, FL
Pop. 307,738
B
73/100
Budget Balance70
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency38
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Tallahassee, FL
Pop. 198,259
C
63/100
Budget Balance60
Debt Burden85
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency3
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Orlando
Tallahassee
Total Spending
$9.6B
$5.9B
Spending / Capita
$31,123
$29,857
Total Revenue
$9.1B
$9.8B
Revenue / Capita
$29,587
$49,453
Total Debt
$0
$107.6M
Debt / Capita
$0
$543
Population
307,738
198,259
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Orlando$5,632
Tallahassee$6,805
Parks & Recreation
Orlando$4,107
Tallahassee$1,261

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

OrlandoTallahassee
Property Tax
$0
$150
Sales Tax
$2,492
$408
Income Tax
$1,219
$1,631
Intergovernmental
$432
$9,184
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,128
Other
$6,520
$6,392

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

OrlandoTallahassee
Fire Protection
$5,632
$6,805
Public Welfare
$628
$3,693
Hospitals
$775
$197
Parks & Recreation
$4,107
$1,261
Housing
$5,645
$3,892
Sewerage
$585
$223
Utilities
$1,262
$3,311
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,460
Other
$12,489
$9,016
B
Orlando, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 73/100
Good fiscal health
C
Tallahassee, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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