Washington, DC vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends New York, NY by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $129,119, a 88% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 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 New York, NY at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
Washington spends 88.5% more per capita than New York ($114,221/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $1,835 |
| Other | $11,518 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $221 |
| Education | $53,224 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,116 |
| Health | $1,009 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $868 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $315 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $11,668 |
| Other | $48,155 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.