Shreveport, LA vs Lafayette, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lafayette, LA outspends Shreveport, LA by a wide margin per resident — $30,028 versus $17,313, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Shreveport, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 44/100 (grade D) for Lafayette, LA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Shreveport, LA carries the lighter load at $1,271 per resident versus $1,334 for Lafayette, LA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Shreveport, LA leads with parks and recreation at $1,799 per resident, while Lafayette, LA leads with fire protection at $1,967.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 8% of total revenue in Shreveport, LA and 10% in Lafayette, LA.
Summary
Lafayette spends 42.3% more per capita than Shreveport ($12,715/person difference). Shreveport, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $872 | $1,778 |
| Income Tax | $653 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $48 | $956 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,867 | $2,527 |
| Other | $3,306 | $3,792 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $615 |
| Fire Protection | $241 | $1,967 |
| Highways & Roads | $235 | $355 |
| Education | $0 | $1,758 |
| Public Welfare | $212 | $1,573 |
| Health | $860 | $851 |
| Hospitals | $2,034 | $1,440 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,799 | $1,923 |
| Housing | $3,509 | $8,621 |
| Sewerage | $235 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,995 | $3,202 |
| Interest on Debt | $810 | $1,013 |
| Other | $5,384 | $6,711 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.