Fresno, CA vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $21,772, a 99% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Fresno spends 99.3% more per capita than Austin ($21,615/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $3,247 |
| Other | $2,070 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $634 |
| Education | $3,942 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $1,837 |
| Health | $599 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $865 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $8,399 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.