Sandy Springs, GA vs South Fulton, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Fulton, GA outspends Sandy Springs, GA by a wide margin per resident — $23,211 versus $9,030, a 157% 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 48/100 (grade D) for South Fulton, GA — a 32-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Sandy Springs, GA at $896 per resident and in South Fulton, GA at $985.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Sandy Springs, GA at 100% of total revenue, whereas South Fulton, GA relies most on other revenue at 1390%.
Summary
South Fulton spends 61.1% more per capita than Sandy Springs ($14,181/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 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $394 | $369 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,634 |
| Intergovernmental | $22,054 | $416 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,624 |
| Other | $567 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $512 | $456 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $129 |
| Education | $0 | $138 |
| Public Welfare | $1,241 | $1,252 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $381 |
| Parks & Recreation | $896 | $985 |
| Housing | $2,400 | $2,512 |
| Utilities | $0 | $4,087 |
| Other | $3,375 | $13,271 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.