Chicago, IL vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $17,934, a 93% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, 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 San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas San Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Chicago spends 92.7% more per capita than San Jose ($16,617/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $608 |
| Other | $3,463 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $810 |
| Health | $426 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $161 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $2,533 |
| Other | $9,385 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.