Fresno, CA vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $18,074, a 140% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Oklahoma City, OK relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
Fresno spends 140.1% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($25,314/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $3,256 |
| Other | $2,070 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $513 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $1,525 |
| Health | $599 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $707 |
| Other | $14,545 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.