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

Portland, OR vs Hillsboro, OR

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Portland, OR spends 27% more per resident than Hillsboro, OR: $23,675 against $18,698. 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 43/100 (grade D) for Hillsboro, OR — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 per resident versus $8,726 for Hillsboro, 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 Hillsboro, OR at $3,096.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 58% in Hillsboro, OR.

Summary

Portland spends 26.6% more per capita than Hillsboro ($4,976/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).

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
Hillsboro, OR
Pop. 106,612
D
43/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency69
Revenue Diversity11
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Portland
Hillsboro
Total Spending
$15.3B
$2.0B
Spending / Capita
$23,675
$18,698
Total Revenue
$31.0B
$2.1B
Revenue / Capita
$47,970
$19,905
Total Debt
$1.0B
$930.3M
Debt / Capita
$1,574
$8,726
Population
646,101
106,612
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Portland$1,700
Hillsboro$449
Highways & Roads
Portland$139
Hillsboro$32
Parks & Recreation
Portland$2,477
Hillsboro$3,096
Education
Portland$0
Hillsboro$206
Health
Portland$0
Hillsboro$1,111

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandHillsboro
Property Tax
$0
$1,352
Sales Tax
$1,695
$429
Income Tax
$130
$0
Intergovernmental
$8,979
$11,490
Charges & Fees
$3,883
$4,448
Other
$7,916
$5,341

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandHillsboro
Fire Protection
$1,700
$449
Highways & Roads
$139
$32
Education
$0
$206
Public Welfare
$3,607
$1,428
Health
$0
$1,111
Hospitals
$2,893
$751
Parks & Recreation
$2,477
$3,096
Housing
$3,694
$4,102
Sewerage
$630
$777
Utilities
$1,845
$2,101
Other
$6,689
$4,645
C
Portland, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
D
Hillsboro, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 43/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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