Portland, OR vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Portland, OR by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $23,675, a 928% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 90.3% more per capita than Portland ($219,666/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $4,070 |
| Other | $7,916 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $6,689 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.