Baltimore, MD vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $16,943, a 301% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 68/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Baltimore spends 301.0% more per capita than San Antonio ($50,992/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $4,025 |
| Other | $4,765 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $158 |
| Education | $35,510 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $1,188 |
| Health | $757 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $100 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $3,826 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.