Atlanta, GA vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $25,457, a 70% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 32-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 San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Atlanta, GA at 6% of total revenue, whereas San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
San Diego spends 41.2% more per capita than Atlanta ($17,849/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 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $14 |
| Other | $5,461 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $1,408 |
| Education | $25 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $700 |
| Health | $0 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $436 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $43 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $11,704 |
| Other | $8,262 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.