Southaven, MS vs Gulfport, MS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Gulfport, MS outspends Southaven, MS by a wide margin per resident — $116,149 versus $10,958, a 960% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Southaven, MS edges Gulfport, MS on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 62/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Gulfport, MS carries the lighter load at $10 per resident versus $770 for Southaven, MS. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Southaven, MS at $1,286 per resident and in Gulfport, MS at $1,250.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Southaven, MS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Gulfport, MS relies most on other revenue at 11%.
Summary
Gulfport spends 90.6% more per capita than Southaven ($105,191/person difference). Southaven, MS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $552 | $396 |
| Income Tax | $559 | $703 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,821 | $20 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,246 | $1,116 |
| Other | $1,581 | $3,854 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $123 | $530 |
| Highways & Roads | $384 | $54 |
| Public Welfare | $481 | $1,302 |
| Health | $55 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $35 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,286 | $1,250 |
| Housing | $2,918 | $2,549 |
| Utilities | $1,878 | $1,385 |
| General Admin | $0 | $105,813 |
| Other | $3,834 | $3,231 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.