Fresno, CA vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $17,934, a 142% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 40-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 San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 19% of total revenue in Fresno, CA and 9% in San Jose, CA.
Summary
Fresno spends 141.9% more per capita than San Jose ($25,453/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $608 |
| Other | $2,070 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $0 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $810 |
| Health | $599 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $161 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.