Portland, OR vs Gresham, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Gresham, OR by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $10,840, a 118% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 46/100 (grade D) for Gresham, OR — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Gresham, OR carries the lighter load at $978 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477 per resident, while Gresham, OR leads with fire protection at $459.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 100% in Gresham, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 118.4% more per capita than Gresham ($12,835/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 | $28 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $5 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $69 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $4,893 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $1,652 |
| Other | $7,916 | $3,781 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $459 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $184 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $944 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $662 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $285 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $2,587 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $57 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $1,126 |
| Other | $6,689 | $4,537 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.