Fresno, CA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $16,943, a 156% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas San Antonio, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
Summary
Fresno spends 156.1% more per capita than San Antonio ($26,445/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $4,025 |
| Other | $2,070 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $158 |
| Education | $3,942 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $1,188 |
| Health | $599 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $100 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.