Rochester, NY vs Mount Vernon, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rochester, NY outspends Mount Vernon, NY by a wide margin per resident — $75,154 versus $18,214, a 313% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mount Vernon, NY edges Rochester, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Rochester, NY reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mount Vernon, NY carries $18 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Rochester, NY leads with education at $42,739 per resident, while Mount Vernon, NY leads with parks and recreation at $950.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 54% of total revenue in Rochester, NY and 100% in Mount Vernon, NY.
Summary
Rochester spends 312.6% more per capita than Mount Vernon ($56,940/person difference). Mount Vernon, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $511 | $356 |
| Income Tax | $1,427 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,814 | $1,881 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,993 | $1,441 |
| Other | $825 | $532 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $46 |
| Fire Protection | $293 | $383 |
| Highways & Roads | $379 | $527 |
| Education | $42,739 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $140 | $335 |
| Health | $753 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $764 | $386 |
| Parks & Recreation | $910 | $950 |
| Housing | $5,169 | $3,774 |
| Sewerage | $547 | $151 |
| Utilities | $5,082 | $2,448 |
| Interest on Debt | $215 | $0 |
| Other | $18,162 | $9,214 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.