Chicago, IL vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Oakland, CA spend within 15.0% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $30,055 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Chicago spends 15.0% more per capita than Oakland ($4,497/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 | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $2,426 |
| Health | $426 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $955 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $0 |
| Other | $9,385 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.