Salem, OR vs Beaverton, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salem, OR spends 34% more per resident than Beaverton, OR: $15,959 against $11,934. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Salem, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Beaverton, OR — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Salem, OR carries the lighter load at $1,019 per resident versus $2,344 for Beaverton, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Salem, OR leads with parks and recreation at $899 per resident, while Beaverton, OR leads with health at $994.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 12% of total revenue in Salem, OR and 100% in Beaverton, OR.
Summary
Salem spends 33.7% more per capita than Beaverton ($4,025/person difference). Salem, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $29 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $301 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,706 | $14,094 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,510 | $2,390 |
| Other | $5,114 | $1,691 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $185 | $268 |
| Highways & Roads | $285 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,100 | $967 |
| Health | $311 | $994 |
| Hospitals | $2,834 | $455 |
| Parks & Recreation | $899 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,037 | $3,728 |
| Sewerage | $317 | $406 |
| Utilities | $1,581 | $1,470 |
| Other | $5,409 | $3,645 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.