Salem, OR vs Hillsboro, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hillsboro, OR spends 17% more per resident than Salem, OR: $18,698 against $15,959. 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 43/100 (grade D) for Hillsboro, OR — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Salem, OR carries the lighter load at $1,019 per resident versus $8,726 for Hillsboro, OR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Salem, OR at $899 per resident and in Hillsboro, OR at $3,096.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 12% of total revenue in Salem, OR and 58% in Hillsboro, OR.
Summary
Hillsboro spends 14.7% more per capita than Salem ($2,740/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 | $1,352 |
| Sales Tax | $301 | $429 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,706 | $11,490 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,510 | $4,448 |
| Other | $5,114 | $5,341 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $185 | $449 |
| Highways & Roads | $285 | $32 |
| Education | $0 | $206 |
| Public Welfare | $1,100 | $1,428 |
| Health | $311 | $1,111 |
| Hospitals | $2,834 | $751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $899 | $3,096 |
| Housing | $3,037 | $4,102 |
| Sewerage | $317 | $777 |
| Utilities | $1,581 | $2,101 |
| Other | $5,409 | $4,645 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.