Sandy Springs, GA vs Macon-Bibb County, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Macon-Bibb County, GA outspends Sandy Springs, GA by a wide margin per resident — $14,678 versus $9,030, a 63% 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 63/100 (grade C) for Macon-Bibb County, GA — a 17-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 Macon-Bibb County, GA leads with police at $1,334.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Sandy Springs, GA and 100% in Macon-Bibb County, GA.
Summary
Macon-Bibb County spends 38.5% more per capita than Sandy Springs ($5,649/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $394 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $828 |
| Intergovernmental | $22,054 | $8,434 |
| Other | $567 | $1,139 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,334 |
| Fire Protection | $512 | $918 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $646 |
| Public Welfare | $1,241 | $552 |
| Health | $0 | $252 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $559 |
| Parks & Recreation | $896 | $659 |
| Housing | $2,400 | $1,875 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $141 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,074 |
| Other | $3,375 | $6,669 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.