Washington, DC vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $17,237, a 1312% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Washington, DC at 7% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Washington spends 1311.7% more per capita than Albuquerque ($226,103/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,633 |
| Other | $11,518 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $172 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $419 |
| Health | $1,009 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,080 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $0 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $1,096 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.