Fort Worth, TX vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $15,939, a 89% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Fort Worth, TX — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fort Worth, TX carries $1,921 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 47.0% more per capita than Fort Worth ($14,115/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)
| Sales Tax | $198 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $0 |
| Other | $3,439 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $2,426 |
| Health | $235 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $955 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $0 |
| Other | $4,817 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.