Updated April 2026 · U.S. Census Bureau data

Fiscal Health Score

The Fiscal Health Score ranking compares 871 U.S. cities on a 0 to 100 composite drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. The composite weights budget balance and reserves, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and three-year trend direction. Higher is better.

Related Rankings

Total Spending Per Capita Police Spending Per Capita Fire Spending Per Capita Parks & Recreation Per Capita Debt Per Capita Education Spending Per Capita Property Tax Per Capita Federal Grants Per Capita

Top 100 Cities by Fiscal Health Score

#	City	Grade	Population	Fiscal Health Score
1	San Jose, CA	A	1.0M	90.00
2	Mesa, AZ	A	503K	90.00
3	Omaha, NE	A	489K	90.00
4	Wichita, KS	A	396K	90.00
5	Irvine, CA	A	305K	90.00
6	Chula Vista, CA	A	276K	90.00
7	Reno, NV	A	265K	90.00
8	Fort Wayne, IN	A	265K	90.00
9	Scottsdale, AZ	A	241K	90.00
10	Elk Grove, CA	A	176K	90.00
11	West Valley City, UT	A	139K	90.00
12	Wilmington, NC	A	117K	90.00
13	Davenport, IA	A	101K	90.00
14	Toms River, NJ	A	93K	90.00
15	Waukegan, IL	A	89K	90.00
16	Hawthorne, CA	A	87K	90.00
17	Rapid City, SD	A	76K	90.00
18	Rowlett, TX	A	63K	90.00
19	Gilroy, CA	A	59K	90.00
20	Midwest City, OK	A	58K	90.00
21	Harrisburg, PA	A	50K	90.00
22	Winston-Salem, NC	A	250K	89.00
23	Edmond, OK	A	95K	89.00
24	Santa Fe, NM	A	88K	89.00
25	Missoula, MT	A	75K	89.00
26	Bolingbrook, IL	A	74K	89.00
27	Palatine, IL	A	67K	89.00
28	Lenexa, KS	A	57K	89.00
29	DeSoto, TX	A	56K	89.00
30	Rio Rancho, NM	A	104K	88.00
31	Bethlehem, PA	A	77K	88.00
32	Oshkosh, WI	A	66K	88.00
33	Greenwood, IN	A	64K	88.00
34	West Allis, WI	A	60K	88.00
35	Madison, WI	A	269K	87.00
36	Fontana, CA	A	209K	87.00
37	Little Rock, AR	A	202K	87.00
38	Aurora, IL	A	181K	87.00
39	Topeka, KS	A	126K	87.00
40	Pittsburg, CA	A	76K	87.00
41	Appleton, WI	A	75K	87.00
42	Eau Claire, WI	A	69K	87.00
43	Kenner, LA	A	66K	87.00
44	Janesville, WI	A	66K	87.00
45	La Habra, CA	A	63K	87.00
46	Mount Prospect, IL	A	56K	87.00
47	Rochester, MN	A	121K	86.00
48	Wichita Falls, TX	A	102K	86.00
49	Reading, PA	A	95K	86.00
50	Mission Viejo, CA	A	93K	86.00
51	Franklin, TN	A	84K	86.00
52	Atlanta, GA	A	495K	85.00
53	Stockton, CA	A	320K	85.00
54	Cincinnati, OH	A	309K	85.00
55	Laredo, TX	A	255K	85.00
56	Overland Park, KS	A	197K	85.00
57	Brownsville, TX	A	187K	85.00
58	Corona, CA	A	158K	85.00
59	Pasadena, TX	A	151K	85.00
60	Provo, UT	A	114K	85.00
61	Rock Hill, SC	A	74K	85.00
62	Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY	A	321K	84.00
63	Olathe, KS	A	142K	84.00
64	Fishers, IN	A	99K	84.00
65	Goodyear, AZ	A	98K	84.00
66	Decatur, IL	A	71K	84.00
67	Kokomo, IN	A	60K	84.00
68	Grand Island, NE	A	53K	84.00
69	Houston, TX	A	2.3M	83.00
70	Arlington, TX	A	393K	83.00
71	Santa Clarita, CA	A	226K	83.00
72	Denton, TX	A	142K	83.00
73	Richmond, CA	A	116K	83.00
74	San Angelo, TX	A	99K	83.00
75	Lehi, UT	A	77K	83.00
76	Scranton, PA	A	76K	83.00
77	Commerce City, CO	A	63K	83.00
78	Las Vegas, NV	A	645K	82.00
79	Columbus, GA	A	205K	82.00
80	Springfield, MO	A	169K	82.00
81	Beaumont, TX	A	115K	82.00
82	Schaumburg, IL	A	78K	82.00
83	Evanston, IL	A	77K	82.00
84	Rockville, MD	A	67K	82.00
85	Burnsville, MN	A	64K	82.00
86	Owensboro, KY	A	60K	82.00
87	Albuquerque, NM	A	563K	81.00
88	Tempe, AZ	A	181K	81.00
89	Killeen, TX	A	154K	81.00
90	Hoffman Estates, IL	A	52K	81.00
91	Irving, TX	A	255K	80.00
92	Glendale, AZ	A	248K	80.00
93	Clarksville, TN	A	168K	80.00
94	Independence, MO	A	122K	80.00
95	North Charleston, SC	A	116K	80.00
96	Centennial, CO	A	108K	80.00
97	Sandy Springs, GA	A	107K	80.00
98	Carson, CA	A	94K	80.00
99	Deltona, FL	A	94K	80.00
100	Johns Creek, GA	A	82K	80.00

Showing top 100 of 871 cities

What the Numbers Show

At the top of the ranking, San Jose, CA posts 90.00, with Mesa, AZ close behind at 90.00. At the other end, Johnson City, TN sits at 23.00. The spread between top and bottom in this metric reflects real differences in service mix, peer-group cost structure, and policy priorities, not just budget size.

Per-capita figures can be sensitive to population estimates: a city whose American Community Survey count is undercounting recent growth will look like an outlier-high spender. Where rankings rely on payroll, employee counts, or pension data, the input dataset is noted in the FAQ. Always pair a single ranking with the underlying city profile before drawing fiscal-health conclusions.

Methodology

The score weights six factors: budget balance and reserves (25%), debt burden per capita (20%), pension funded ratio (20%), spending efficiency (15%), revenue diversity (10%), and three-year trend direction (10%). Each component is calibrated against population peer-group medians, so a 200,000-resident city is benchmarked against other mid-size cities, not against the largest cities in the country. For full methodology and weight-by-weight breakdown of the composite Fiscal Health Score, see the methodology page. Underlying datasets include the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities for the 150 largest cities, and best-practice guidance from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fiscal health score ranking?

Where does the data come from?

Every figure traces back to U.S. Census Bureau primary data: the Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances for spending and revenue, and the American Community Survey for population estimates used to compute per-capita ratios. Pension data, where used, comes from the Public Plans Database; federal grant flows come from USASpending.gov.

How often is the ranking updated?

The Census Bureau publishes the Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances roughly 18 months after the close of the fiscal year. CitySpend rebuilds the rankings whenever new Census microdata is released, typically once a year. The current data reflects the most recent Census release available at the page-update time shown above.

Is being ranked at the top always good?

Not always. Top-ranking cities on a per-capita spending metric may simply be larger metros absorbing regional commuters or operating broader services than peers. Always read a top-ranked city in the context of its peer group, service mix, and audited financial reports.

How is this metric calculated?

The Fiscal Health Score ranking compares 871 U.S. cities on a 0 to 100 composite drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. The composite weights budget balance and reserves, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and three-year trend direction. Higher is better.
, CitySpend (2026-04-06)