Roswell, GA vs Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA spends 44% more per resident than Roswell, GA: $20,643 against $14,384. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 78/100 (grade B) against 54/100 (grade C) for Roswell, GA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Roswell, GA carries $34 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Roswell, GA at $2,116 per resident and in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA at $2,332.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Roswell, GA at 472% of total revenue, whereas Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) spends 30.3% more per capita than Roswell ($6,259/person difference). Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 78/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $53 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $822 | $1,045 |
| Income Tax | $1,347 | $715 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,926 | $2,956 |
| Charges & Fees | $303 | $1,578 |
| Other | $2,917 | $6,437 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,372 |
| Fire Protection | $710 | $771 |
| Highways & Roads | $229 | $459 |
| Education | $7 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $944 | $508 |
| Health | $0 | $722 |
| Hospitals | $6 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,116 | $2,332 |
| Housing | $2,325 | $2,708 |
| Sewerage | $65 | $183 |
| Utilities | $3,176 | $2,250 |
| Other | $4,807 | $9,338 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.