Atlanta, GA vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $25,457, a 623% 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 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 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 Francisco, CA at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 86.2% more per capita than Atlanta ($158,674/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 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $7,961 |
| Other | $5,461 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $2,281 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $0 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $2,203 |
| Health | $0 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $8,262 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.