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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Toledo, OH vs Cleveland, OH

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Cleveland, OH outspends Toledo, OH by a wide margin per resident — $23,088 versus $5,129, a 350% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Cleveland, OH holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Toledo, OH — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Toledo, OH reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cleveland, OH carries $1,253 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Toledo, OH at $306 per resident and in Cleveland, OH at $879.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Toledo, OH at 22847% of total revenue, whereas Cleveland, OH relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.

Summary

Cleveland spends 77.8% more per capita than Toledo ($17,959/person difference). Cleveland, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Toledo, OH
Pop. 269,962
C
55/100
Budget Balance0
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Cleveland, OH
Pop. 370,365
B
69/100
Budget Balance81
Debt Burden36
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency74
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Toledo
Cleveland
Total Spending
$1.4B
$8.6B
Spending / Capita
$5,129
$23,088
Total Revenue
$10.9M
$29.6B
Revenue / Capita
$40
$79,979
Total Debt
$0
$464.0M
Debt / Capita
$0
$1,253
Population
269,962
370,365
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Toledo$0
Cleveland$134
Fire Protection
Toledo$0
Cleveland$633
Highways & Roads
Toledo$0
Cleveland$221
Parks & Recreation
Toledo$306
Cleveland$879
Education
Toledo$0
Cleveland$65

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

ToledoCleveland
Property Tax
$0
$470
Sales Tax
$142
$230
Income Tax
$0
$404
Intergovernmental
$9
$12,511
Charges & Fees
$3,379
$8,026
Other
$9,201
$1,801

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

ToledoCleveland
Police
$0
$134
Fire Protection
$0
$633
Highways & Roads
$0
$221
Education
$0
$65
Public Welfare
$0
$184
Hospitals
$1,874
$147
Parks & Recreation
$306
$879
Housing
$0
$6,008
Sewerage
$117
$250
Utilities
$1,283
$5,621
Other
$1,550
$8,945
C
Toledo, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health
B
Cleveland, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.