Fresno, CA vs Anaheim, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Anaheim, CA by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $23,533, a 84% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Anaheim, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 78/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Anaheim, CA leads with parks and recreation at $2,078.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 19% of total revenue in Fresno, CA and 5% in Anaheim, CA.
Summary
Fresno spends 84.4% more per capita than Anaheim ($19,854/person difference). Anaheim, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 78/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $1,788 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $2,380 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,297 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $2,764 |
| Other | $2,070 | $5,232 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $254 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $813 |
| Health | $599 | $358 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $4,753 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $2,078 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $5,592 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $726 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $3,943 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $5,014 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.