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

Riverside, CA

Population: 316,076 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
58/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$59.4B
Per Capita
$188,026
Total Revenue
$30.8B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
30.8%$18.3B
Utilities
25.5%$15.1B
General Administration
12.0%$7.2B
Housing & Community Development
10.3%$6.1B
Education
6.1%$3.6B
Police
5.4%$3.2B
Public Welfare
4.9%$2.9B
Hospitals
2.1%$1.2B
Fire Protection
1.0%$581.2M
Parks & Recreation
0.6%$380.8M
Highways & Roads
0.6%$341.8M
Health
0.5%$323.7M
Sewerage
0.2%$122.5M

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
1.0%$301.4M
Sales Tax
0.5%$162.3M
Income Tax
4.3%$1.3B
Charges & Fees
0.0%$2.0M
Other
29.0%$8.9B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$10,139/person
Fire Protection$1,839/person
Highways & Roads$1,081/person
Parks & Recreation$1,205/person
Education$11,453/person
Health$1,024/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)31/100
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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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

Riverside, CA spends $188,026 per resident, based on total expenditures of $59.4B for a population of 316,076. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100).

Riverside, CA has total expenditures of $59.4B and total revenue of $30.8B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Riverside, 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.

Riverside, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100). 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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