Tallahassee, FL vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL and Tallahassee, FL spend within 5.4% of each other per resident — $31,456 versus $29,857 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Tallahassee, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Tallahassee, FL carries the lighter load at $543 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Tallahassee, FL at $6,805 per resident and in Jacksonville, FL at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Tallahassee, FL and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 5.1% more per capita than Tallahassee ($1,599/person difference). Tallahassee, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $150 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $408 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $1,631 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,184 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,128 | $2,119 |
| Other | $6,392 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $6,805 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $3,693 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $197 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,261 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $3,892 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $223 | $176 |
| Utilities | $3,311 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,460 | $1,942 |
| Other | $9,016 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.