Portland, OR vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA and Portland, OR spend within 7.5% of each other per resident — $25,457 versus $23,675 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Portland, OR carries $1,574 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Portland, OR at $2,477 per resident and in Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 7.0% more per capita than Portland ($1,783/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 | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $5,645 |
| Other | $7,916 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $1,587 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $343 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $8,026 |
| Other | $6,689 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.