Schenectady, NY vs Cheektowaga, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Schenectady, NY outspends Cheektowaga, NY by a wide margin per resident — $44,459 versus $10,250, a 334% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cheektowaga, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Schenectady, NY — a 21-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: Schenectady, NY leads with police at $2,839 per resident, while Cheektowaga, NY leads with parks and recreation at $577.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Schenectady, NY and 100% in Cheektowaga, NY.
Summary
Schenectady spends 333.7% more per capita than Cheektowaga ($34,208/person difference). Cheektowaga, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $64 | $113 |
| Income Tax | $26 | $13 |
| Intergovernmental | $12,933 | $6,709 |
| Other | $4,840 | $151 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,839 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $406 | $77 |
| Highways & Roads | $440 | $155 |
| Public Welfare | $1,436 | $1,620 |
| Health | $899 | $168 |
| Hospitals | $34 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $577 |
| Housing | $778 | $2,169 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $174 |
| Utilities | $9,610 | $827 |
| Interest on Debt | $47 | $0 |
| Other | $27,849 | $4,483 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.