Atlanta, GA vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA spends 18% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $30,055 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 72/100 (grade B) for Oakland, CA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 15.3% more per capita than Atlanta ($4,597/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $419 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $0 |
| Other | $5,461 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $0 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $2,426 |
| Health | $0 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $955 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $0 |
| Other | $8,262 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.