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

Portland, OR vs Omaha, NE

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Portland, OR outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $11,180, a 112% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Omaha, NE 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 Omaha, NE at $742.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Portland, OR at 19% of total revenue, whereas Omaha, NE relies most on other revenue at 17%.

Summary

Portland spends 111.8% more per capita than Omaha ($12,495/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

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
Omaha, NE
Pop. 489,201
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Portland
Omaha
Total Spending
$15.3B
$5.5B
Spending / Capita
$23,675
$11,180
Total Revenue
$31.0B
$13.2B
Revenue / Capita
$47,970
$26,929
Total Debt
$1.0B
$0
Debt / Capita
$1,574
$0
Population
646,101
489,201
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Portland$1,700
Omaha$0
Highways & Roads
Portland$139
Omaha$319
Parks & Recreation
Portland$2,477
Omaha$742
Health
Portland$0
Omaha$456

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandOmaha
Property Tax
$0
$624
Sales Tax
$1,695
$373
Income Tax
$130
$0
Intergovernmental
$8,979
$2,622
Charges & Fees
$3,883
$0
Other
$7,916
$4,672

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandOmaha
Fire Protection
$1,700
$0
Highways & Roads
$139
$319
Public Welfare
$3,607
$1,521
Health
$0
$456
Hospitals
$2,893
$0
Parks & Recreation
$2,477
$742
Housing
$3,694
$3,045
Sewerage
$630
$0
Utilities
$1,845
$581
Other
$6,689
$4,516
C
Portland, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
A
Omaha, NE
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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