Parma, OH vs Lorain, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lorain, OH outspends Parma, OH by a wide margin per resident — $16,642 versus $9,437, a 76% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lorain, OH edges Parma, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). 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: fire protection leads in Parma, OH at $682 per resident and in Lorain, OH at $405.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Parma, OH at 100% of total revenue, whereas Lorain, OH relies most on other revenue at 73%.
Summary
Lorain spends 43.3% more per capita than Parma ($7,205/person difference). Lorain, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $241 |
| Sales Tax | $201 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $434 | $622 |
| Other | $356 | $6,102 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4 |
| Fire Protection | $682 | $405 |
| Highways & Roads | $211 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $683 | $2,099 |
| Hospitals | $879 | $931 |
| Parks & Recreation | $519 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,539 | $619 |
| Sewerage | $34 | $0 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,639 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $301 |
| Other | $3,890 | $10,644 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.