Washington, DC vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $25,457, a 856% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 44-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Washington spends 855.9% more per capita than Atlanta ($217,884/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $5,645 |
| Other | $11,518 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $513 |
| Education | $53,224 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,587 |
| Health | $1,009 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $343 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $8,026 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.