South Fulton, GA vs Sandy Springs, 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 South Fulton, GA at $985 per resident and in Sandy Springs, GA at $896.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in South Fulton, GA at 1390% of total revenue, whereas Sandy Springs, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
South Fulton spends 157.0% 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 | $36 | $13 |
| Sales Tax | $369 | $394 |
| Income Tax | $1,634 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $416 | $22,054 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,624 | $0 |
| Other | $5,785 | $567 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $456 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $129 | $605 |
| Education | $138 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,252 | $1,241 |
| Hospitals | $381 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $985 | $896 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $2,400 |
| Utilities | $4,087 | $0 |
| Other | $13,271 | $3,375 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.