Washington, DC vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Chicago, IL by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $34,551, a 604% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 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 Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Washington spends 604.3% more per capita than Chicago ($208,789/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,847 |
| Other | $11,518 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $930 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,858 |
| Health | $1,009 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $122 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $129 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.