Baltimore, MD vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Oakland, CA by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $30,055, a 126% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA edges Baltimore, MD on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Baltimore spends 126.0% more per capita than Oakland ($37,880/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $0 |
| Other | $4,765 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $2,426 |
| Health | $757 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $955 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $0 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.