Utica, NY vs Albany, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albany, NY outspends Utica, NY by a wide margin per resident — $46,595 versus $15,612, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Utica, NY edges Albany, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (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: Utica, NY leads with parks and recreation at $1,207 per resident, while Albany, NY leads with police at $3,815.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Utica, NY at 100% of total revenue, whereas Albany, NY relies most on other revenue at 22%.
Summary
Albany spends 66.5% more per capita than Utica ($30,983/person difference). Utica, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $153 | $1,242 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,364 | $3,947 |
| Other | $1,276 | $6,604 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,815 |
| Fire Protection | $230 | $558 |
| Highways & Roads | $230 | $391 |
| Public Welfare | $537 | $1,363 |
| Health | $0 | $91 |
| Hospitals | $480 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,207 | $663 |
| Housing | $3,171 | $2,042 |
| Sewerage | $123 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,553 | $13,046 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $88 |
| Other | $8,082 | $24,538 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.