Baltimore, MD vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Baltimore, MD by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $67,935, a 171% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 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 Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 63.1% more per capita than Baltimore ($116,196/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 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $7,961 |
| Other | $4,765 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $2,281 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $2,203 |
| Health | $757 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $19 | $14,899 |
| Other | $17,981 | $93,702 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.