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

Tuscaloosa, AL vs Birmingham, AL

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

Summary

Birmingham spends 64.6% more per capita than Tuscaloosa ($19,896/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tuscaloosa, AL
Pop. 105,797
C
55/100
Budget Balance0
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Birmingham, AL
Pop. 200,431
C
55/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tuscaloosa
Birmingham
Total Spending
$1.2B
$6.2B
Spending / Capita
$10,894
$30,790
Total Revenue
$0
$16.0B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$79,635
Total Debt
$0
$565.8M
Debt / Capita
$0
$2,823
Population
105,797
200,431
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Tuscaloosa$1,260
Birmingham$22
Fire Protection
Tuscaloosa$1,043
Birmingham$1,152
Highways & Roads
Tuscaloosa$0
Birmingham$848
Parks & Recreation
Tuscaloosa$375
Birmingham$1,823
Health
Tuscaloosa$540
Birmingham$683

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TuscaloosaBirmingham
Property Tax
$2
$44
Sales Tax
$0
$281
Intergovernmental
$0
$468
Charges & Fees
$0
$10,460
Other
$791
$734

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TuscaloosaBirmingham
Police
$1,260
$22
Fire Protection
$1,043
$1,152
Highways & Roads
$0
$848
Public Welfare
$2,419
$2,110
Health
$540
$683
Hospitals
$0
$1,505
Parks & Recreation
$375
$1,823
Housing
$1,916
$5,487
Sewerage
$0
$594
Utilities
$88
$5,451
Other
$3,252
$11,115
C
Tuscaloosa, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health
C
Birmingham, AL
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health

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