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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Fresno, CA

Population: 541,528 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
50/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$23.5B
Per Capita
$43,387
Total Revenue
$6.0B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Utilities
35.4%$8.3B
Other
33.5%$7.9B
Education
9.1%$2.1B
Police
7.5%$1.8B
Housing & Community Development
6.6%$1.5B
Public Welfare
4.5%$1.1B
Health
1.4%$324.6M
Fire Protection
1.3%$307.4M
Interest on Debt
0.6%$138.0M
Parks & Recreation
0.2%$41.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
3.1%$182.4M
Sales Tax
0.2%$10.2M
Income Tax
4.6%$271.5M
Charges & Fees
0.1%$5.8M
Other
18.8%$1.1B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$3,261/person
Fire Protection$568/person
Parks & Recreation$76/person
Education$3,942/person
Health$599/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)0/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Fresno stacks up against another city.

vs Los Angeles, CAvs San Diego, CAvs San Jose, CA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in California

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Compare Fresno With

Los Angeles, CA

Spending: $85,432/person · Grade: D

San Diego, CA

Spending: $43,306/person · Grade: C

San Jose, CA

Spending: $17,934/person · Grade: A

San Francisco, CA

Spending: $184,131/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Fresno, CA spends $43,387 per resident, based on total expenditures of $23.5B for a population of 541,528. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100).

Fresno, CA has total expenditures of $23.5B and total revenue of $6.0B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Fresno, CA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Fresno, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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