Tuscaloosa, AL vs Auburn, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Auburn, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL spend within 8.8% of each other per resident — $11,856 versus $10,894 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Auburn, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tuscaloosa, AL — a 25-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tuscaloosa, AL leads with police at $1,260 per resident, while Auburn, AL leads with parks and recreation at $934.
Summary
Auburn spends 8.1% more per capita than Tuscaloosa ($961/person difference). Auburn, AL 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 | $2 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $22 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $713 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $15,016 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,773 |
| Other | $791 | $3,814 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,260 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,043 | $551 |
| Public Welfare | $2,419 | $1,001 |
| Health | $540 | $328 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,012 |
| Parks & Recreation | $375 | $934 |
| Housing | $1,916 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $182 |
| Utilities | $88 | $1,765 |
| Other | $3,252 | $3,853 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.