Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend
F

Grade F Cities — Fiscally Distressed Cities

Cities scoring below 35 on our Fiscal Health Index — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate structural reform.

Grade AGrade BGrade CGrade DGrade F
Cities
15
Total Population
1.6M
Avg Spending/Capita
$37,669
Avg Debt/Capita
$1,513

All 15 Grade F Cities

Somerville, MA

Pop. 80K

F
Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$42,529

Wilmington, DE

Pop. 71K

F
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$37,612

Ames, IA

Pop. 66K

F
Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$44,915

Troy, NY

Pop. 51K

F
Total Spending
$893.2M
Per Capita
$17,422

Draper, UT

Pop. 51K

F
Total Spending
$885.5M
Per Capita
$17,488

Tampa, FL

Pop. 389K

F
Total Spending
$11.9B
Per Capita
$30,690

Middletown, OH

Pop. 51K

F
Total Spending
$750.5M
Per Capita
$14,857

Providence, RI

Pop. 190K

F
Total Spending
$9.5B
Per Capita
$50,124

Newport News, VA

Pop. 185K

F
Total Spending
$10.5B
Per Capita
$56,948

Taunton, MA

Pop. 59K

F
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$44,737

Duluth, MN

Pop. 87K

F
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$32,786

Malden, MA

Pop. 65K

F
Total Spending
$2.4B
Per Capita
$36,616

Chicopee, MA

Pop. 55K

F
Total Spending
$2.4B
Per Capita
$43,310

Flint, MI

Pop. 82K

F
Total Spending
$5.3B
Per Capita
$65,339

Johnson City, TN

Pop. 71K

F
Total Spending
$2.1B
Per Capita
$29,659

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Grade F fiscal health score mean?

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

How many US cities have a Grade F?

There are 15 cities with a Grade F fiscal health score out of 871 cities tracked. This represents 1.7% of all cities in our database.

What factors determine a city's fiscal health grade?

Our Fiscal Health Score weighs six factors: budget balance and reserves (25%), debt burden vs. peers (20%), pension funding ratio (20%), spending efficiency (15%), revenue diversity (10%), and three-year fiscal trend (10%). Cities scoring below 35 earn a Grade F.

What is the average spending per capita for Grade F cities?

Grade F cities spend an average of $37,669 per resident annually. Their average debt per capita is $1,513. These figures are based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. Fiscal Health Scores are proprietary composite scores — see methodology.