Houston, TX vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $14,400, a 201% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Houston, TX carries $863 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 7% of total revenue in Houston, TX and 39% in San Diego, CA.
Summary
San Diego spends 66.7% more per capita than Houston ($28,907/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $14 |
| Other | $3,960 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $1,408 |
| Education | $0 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $700 |
| Health | $210 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $436 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $43 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $11,704 |
| Other | $6,301 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.