Rochester, NY vs Syracuse, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Rochester, NY spends 35% more per resident than Syracuse, NY: $75,154 against $55,830. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Syracuse, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Rochester, NY — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Rochester, NY at $42,739 per resident and in Syracuse, NY at $35,942.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 54% of total revenue in Rochester, NY and 17% in Syracuse, NY.
Summary
Rochester spends 34.6% more per capita than Syracuse ($19,324/person difference). Syracuse, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $511 | $383 |
| Income Tax | $1,427 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,814 | $2,392 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,993 | $1,755 |
| Other | $825 | $873 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $293 | $282 |
| Highways & Roads | $379 | $288 |
| Education | $42,739 | $35,942 |
| Public Welfare | $140 | $614 |
| Health | $753 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $764 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $910 | $600 |
| Housing | $5,169 | $3,659 |
| Sewerage | $547 | $317 |
| Utilities | $5,082 | $1,703 |
| Interest on Debt | $215 | $16 |
| Other | $18,162 | $12,408 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.