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

San Francisco, CA

Population: 851,036 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

D
48/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131
Total Revenue
$232.3B
Total Debt
$1.7B

Spending Breakdown

Other
50.9%$79.7B
Interest on Debt
12.4%$19.4B
Utilities
11.5%$18.0B
General Administration
8.1%$12.7B
Housing & Community Development
5.1%$7.9B
Hospitals
3.8%$5.9B
Parks & Recreation
2.2%$3.5B
Police
1.8%$2.9B
Fire Protection
1.2%$1.9B
Public Welfare
1.2%$1.9B
Health
1.0%$1.6B
Sewerage
0.8%$1.2B

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
0.1%$126.0M
Sales Tax
1.1%$2.6B
Income Tax
0.1%$228.7M
Intergovernmental
7.2%$16.8B
Charges & Fees
2.9%$6.8B
Other
6.9%$16.1B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$3,351/person
Fire Protection$2,281/person
Parks & Recreation$4,119/person
Health$1,911/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)70/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$1.7B
Long-Term Debt$1.5B
Debt Per Capita$2,031
Cash & Securities$2.0B

Compare Cities

See how San Francisco 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

Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco, CA spends $184,131 per resident, based on total expenditures of $156.7B for a population of 851,036. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (48/100).

San Francisco, CA has total expenditures of $156.7B and total revenue of $232.3B. The city carries $1.7B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

San Francisco, 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.

San Francisco, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of D (48/100). 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.