Salem, OR vs Gresham, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Salem, OR spends 47% more per resident than Gresham, OR: $15,959 against $10,840. 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 46/100 (grade D) for Gresham, OR — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Gresham, OR carries the lighter load at $978 per resident versus $1,019 for Salem, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Salem, OR leads with parks and recreation at $899 per resident, while Gresham, OR leads with fire protection at $459.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 12% of total revenue in Salem, OR and 100% in Gresham, OR.
Summary
Salem spends 47.2% more per capita than Gresham ($5,119/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 | $28 |
| Sales Tax | $301 | $5 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $69 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,706 | $4,893 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,510 | $1,652 |
| Other | $5,114 | $3,781 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $185 | $459 |
| Highways & Roads | $285 | $184 |
| Public Welfare | $1,100 | $944 |
| Health | $311 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,834 | $662 |
| Parks & Recreation | $899 | $285 |
| Housing | $3,037 | $2,587 |
| Sewerage | $317 | $57 |
| Utilities | $1,581 | $1,126 |
| Other | $5,409 | $4,537 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.