Salem, OR vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 48% more per resident than Salem, OR: $23,675 against $15,959. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Salem, OR edges Portland, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Salem, OR carries the lighter load at $1,019 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, 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 Portland, OR at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 12% of total revenue in Salem, OR and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 32.6% more per capita than Salem ($7,716/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $301 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,706 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,510 | $3,883 |
| Other | $5,114 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $185 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $285 | $139 |
| Public Welfare | $1,100 | $3,607 |
| Health | $311 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,834 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $899 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $3,037 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $317 | $630 |
| Utilities | $1,581 | $1,845 |
| Other | $5,409 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.