Baltimore, MD vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD spends 57% more per resident than Fresno, CA: $67,935 against $43,387. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 20-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Baltimore, MD at $35,510 per resident and in Fresno, CA at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Baltimore, MD at 7% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Baltimore spends 56.6% more per capita than Fresno ($24,548/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $11 |
| Other | $4,765 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $1,946 |
| Health | $757 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $76 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $255 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.