South Fulton, GA vs Columbus, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Fulton, GA spends 50% more per resident than Columbus, GA: $23,211 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 48/100 (grade D) for South Fulton, GA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
South Fulton, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, GA carries $37 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: South Fulton, GA leads with parks and recreation at $985 per resident, while Columbus, GA leads with police at $1,611.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 1390% of total revenue in South Fulton, GA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
Summary
South Fulton spends 49.5% more per capita than Columbus ($7,688/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 | $36 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $369 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $1,634 | $688 |
| Intergovernmental | $416 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,624 | $2,259 |
| Other | $5,785 | $3,202 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,611 |
| Fire Protection | $456 | $699 |
| Highways & Roads | $129 | $443 |
| Education | $138 | $21 |
| Public Welfare | $1,252 | $1,247 |
| Hospitals | $381 | $170 |
| Parks & Recreation | $985 | $669 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $2,701 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $66 |
| Utilities | $4,087 | $1,989 |
| Other | $13,271 | $5,907 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.