Portland, OR vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 26% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $23,675 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. 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 Columbus, OH at $2,168.
Summary
Portland spends 25.5% more per capita than Columbus ($4,817/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $2,389 |
| Other | $7,916 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $878 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $1 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $1,719 |
| Other | $6,689 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.