Tuscaloosa, AL vs Madison, AL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Madison, AL outspends Tuscaloosa, AL by a wide margin per resident — $26,015 versus $10,894, a 139% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tuscaloosa, AL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Madison, AL — a 11-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 Madison, AL leads with fire protection at $2,129.
Summary
Madison spends 58.1% more per capita than Tuscaloosa ($15,121/person difference). Tuscaloosa, AL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $2 | $73 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,566 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $8,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,300 |
| Other | $791 | $4,323 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,260 | $2,061 |
| Fire Protection | $1,043 | $2,129 |
| Public Welfare | $2,419 | $5,542 |
| Health | $540 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $375 | $799 |
| Housing | $1,916 | $5,194 |
| Utilities | $88 | $3,593 |
| Other | $3,252 | $6,698 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.