The Gap
Montgomery County spends more per person than almost any peer. Here's the full picture.
Peer County Selection
We compare Montgomery County to counties with similar population, median household income, and metro proximity to D.C. Data sources: FY2026 adopted budgets and U.S. Census ACS 2024.
The Comparison Table
Click a column header to sort. Montgomery County is highlighted.
| County | FY27 Budget | Population | Per Capita ↓ | Median HH Income | Budget % MHI | Budget Growth (5yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County, CA | $15B | 1,938,000 | $7,585 | $149,000 | 5.1% | 28.0% |
| Howard County, MD | $3B | 334,000 | $7,485 | $132,000 | 5.7% | 28.0% |
| Montgomery County, MD | $8B | 1,082,000 | $7,301 | $140,837 | 5.2% | 37.4% |
| Loudoun County, VA | $3B | 440,000 | $7,273 | $165,000 | 4.4% | 30.0% |
| Arlington County, VA | $2B | 239,000 | $7,113 | $128,000 | 5.6% | 22.0% |
| Prince George's County, MD | $6B | 967,000 | $6,205 | $95,000 | 6.5% | 30.0% |
| Fairfax County, VA | $6B | 1,150,000 | $5,191 | $133,974 | 3.9% | 24.0% |
| Nassau County, NY | $4B | 1,385,000 | $3,105 | $125,000 | 2.5% | 18.0% |
The Fairfax Benchmark
Same beltway. Same talent pool. Different priorities.
Population
1.08M vs 1.15M
Montgomery vs Fairfax
County budget
$7.9B vs ~$6.0B
Per capita spend
$7,301 vs $5,191
Income tax
~8%+ vs 5.75%
Combined vs state only
MCPS overhead
45% vs 37%
Income growth rank
28th vs 25th
Of 30 peer counties
What the Gap Costs You
Estimate your county tax burden and compare to Fairfax.
$140,000
$600,000
Estimated Montgomery County tax burden
$10,473 / year
Where your tax dollars go
Approximate allocation by budget category (Montgomery County).
The $2,588 question
The average MoCo household pays ~$2,588 more per year than a Fairfax household for county services.
What could you do with $2,588? That's 3 months of Ride On fares… oh wait, those are free now. You're paying anyway. That's your kid's travel soccer season. That's your annual streaming subscriptions — all of them.
Methodology Notes
Per capita spending is total county-controlled operating budget divided by population. We include MCPS, WSSC, transit, and general government. Excluded: federal pass-throughs and capital projects. Fairfax comparison uses county-controlled figures; some VA school funding is state-level. Income and population from U.S. Census ACS 1-year estimates. Known limitations: timing of data releases, differing fiscal years.