Dallas, TX vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $34,849, a 428% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX 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: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while San Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 81.1% more per capita than Dallas ($149,282/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $7,961 |
| Other | $584 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $2,281 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $2,203 |
| Health | $0 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $444 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $833 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $14,899 |
| Other | $5,059 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.