Toledo, OH vs Lorain, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lorain, OH outspends Toledo, OH by a wide margin per resident — $16,642 versus $5,129, a 224% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lorain, OH edges Toledo, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Toledo, OH leads with parks and recreation at $306 per resident, while Lorain, OH leads with fire protection at $405.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 22847% of total revenue in Toledo, OH and 73% in Lorain, OH.
Summary
Lorain spends 69.2% more per capita than Toledo ($11,513/person difference). Lorain, OH has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $241 |
| Sales Tax | $142 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9 | $622 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,379 | $0 |
| Other | $9,201 | $6,102 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $405 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $2,099 |
| Hospitals | $1,874 | $931 |
| Parks & Recreation | $306 | $0 |
| Housing | $0 | $619 |
| Sewerage | $117 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,283 | $1,639 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $301 |
| Other | $1,550 | $10,644 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.