Savannah, GA vs Columbus, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Savannah, GA spends 56% more per resident than Columbus, GA: $24,281 against $15,522. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Columbus, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Savannah, GA — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Savannah, GA carries the lighter load at $9 per resident versus $37 for Columbus, GA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Savannah, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,980 per resident, while Columbus, GA leads with police at $1,611.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 28% of total revenue in Savannah, GA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
Summary
Savannah spends 56.4% more per capita than Columbus ($8,759/person difference). Columbus, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $18 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $1,601 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $2,611 | $688 |
| Intergovernmental | $413 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,501 | $2,259 |
| Other | $5,349 | $3,202 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,611 |
| Fire Protection | $408 | $699 |
| Highways & Roads | $402 | $443 |
| Education | $157 | $21 |
| Public Welfare | $3,035 | $1,247 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $170 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,980 | $669 |
| Housing | $4,362 | $2,701 |
| Sewerage | $266 | $66 |
| Utilities | $5,827 | $1,989 |
| Other | $7,844 | $5,907 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.