Washington, DC vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $20,200, a 1105% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Washington, DC edges Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 41/100 (grade D) to 35/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Washington, DC at 7% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Washington spends 1104.6% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($223,140/person difference). Washington, DC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 41/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $3,823 |
| Other | $11,518 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $1,132 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $0 |
| Education | $53,224 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,849 |
| Health | $1,009 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $249 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $1,517 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.