Fresno, CA vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $17,237, a 152% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Albuquerque, NM carries $613 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Albuquerque, NM leads with parks and recreation at $1,990.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Fresno spends 151.7% more per capita than Albuquerque ($26,150/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $2,633 |
| Other | $2,070 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $172 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $419 |
| Health | $599 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $4,080 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $1,096 |
| Other | $14,545 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.