Atlanta, GA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA spends 50% more per resident than San Antonio, TX: $25,457 against $16,943. 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 68/100 (grade B) for San Antonio, TX — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Atlanta, GA at $1,274 per resident and in San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Atlanta spends 50.3% more per capita than San Antonio ($8,515/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $4,025 |
| Other | $5,461 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $158 |
| Education | $25 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $1,188 |
| Health | $0 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $100 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $3,826 |
| Other | $8,262 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.