Sandy Springs, GA vs Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA outspends Sandy Springs, GA by a wide margin per resident — $19,144 versus $9,030, a 112% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sandy Springs, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 72/100 (grade B) for Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sandy Springs, GA leads with parks and recreation at $896 per resident, while Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA leads with police at $1,167.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Sandy Springs, GA and 100% in Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA.
Summary
Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance) spends 52.8% more per capita than Sandy Springs ($10,114/person difference). Sandy Springs, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $13 | $2 |
| Sales Tax | $394 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,856 |
| Intergovernmental | $22,054 | $27,728 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,561 |
| Other | $567 | $5,118 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,167 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $940 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $265 |
| Education | $0 | $35 |
| Public Welfare | $1,241 | $1,012 |
| Health | $0 | $130 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $878 |
| Parks & Recreation | $896 | $911 |
| Housing | $2,400 | $2,672 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $131 |
| Utilities | $0 | $4,264 |
| Other | $3,375 | $6,738 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.