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

Portland, OR vs Corvallis, OR

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Portland, OR outspends Corvallis, OR by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $14,492, a 63% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Corvallis, OR edges Portland, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 66/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

On debt, Corvallis, OR carries the lighter load at $184 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 Corvallis, OR at $1,073.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Portland, OR at 19% of total revenue, whereas Corvallis, OR relies most on other revenue at 108%.

Summary

Portland spends 63.4% more per capita than Corvallis ($9,183/person difference). Corvallis, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 66/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Portland, OR
Pop. 646,101
C
63/100
Budget Balance83
Debt Burden7
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency72
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Corvallis, OR
Pop. 60,050
B
66/100
Budget Balance50
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency86
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Portland
Corvallis
Total Spending
$15.3B
$870.2M
Spending / Capita
$23,675
$14,492
Total Revenue
$31.0B
$254.0M
Revenue / Capita
$47,970
$4,229
Total Debt
$1.0B
$11.0M
Debt / Capita
$1,574
$184
Population
646,101
60,050
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Portland$1,700
Corvallis$298
Highways & Roads
Portland$139
Corvallis$146
Parks & Recreation
Portland$2,477
Corvallis$1,073
Health
Portland$0
Corvallis$880

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandCorvallis
Property Tax
$0
$931
Sales Tax
$1,695
$359
Income Tax
$130
$0
Intergovernmental
$8,979
$4,229
Charges & Fees
$3,883
$1,989
Other
$7,916
$4,581

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandCorvallis
Fire Protection
$1,700
$298
Highways & Roads
$139
$146
Public Welfare
$3,607
$276
Health
$0
$880
Hospitals
$2,893
$707
Parks & Recreation
$2,477
$1,073
Housing
$3,694
$2,056
Sewerage
$630
$0
Utilities
$1,845
$810
Interest on Debt
$0
$701
Other
$6,689
$7,543
C
Portland, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
B
Corvallis, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 66/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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