Washington, DC vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $48,948, a 397% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN edges Washington, DC on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 47/100 (grade D) to 41/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries the lighter load at $2,292 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Washington, DC at $53,224 per resident and in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at $21,061.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 10% in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN.
Summary
Washington spends 397.1% more per capita than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) ($194,393/person difference). Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 47/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,444 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $11 |
| Education | $53,224 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $738 |
| Health | $1,009 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $217 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $2,081 |
| Other | $48,155 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.