Washington, DC vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Baltimore, MD by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $67,935, a 258% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Washington, DC at $53,224 per resident and in Baltimore, MD at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Washington spends 258.2% more per capita than Baltimore ($175,406/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,192 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $676 |
| Education | $53,224 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $714 |
| Health | $1,009 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $384 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $87 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $3,809 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $19 |
| Other | $48,155 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.