Fresno, CA vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA and San Diego, CA spend within 0.2% of each other per resident — $43,387 versus $43,306 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Diego, CA edges Fresno, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 50/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 19% of total revenue in Fresno, CA and 39% in San Diego, CA.
Summary
Fresno spends 0.2% more per capita than San Diego ($81/person difference). San Diego, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $14 |
| Other | $2,070 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,408 |
| Education | $3,942 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $700 |
| Health | $599 | $411 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $436 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $43 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $11,704 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.