Jacksonville, FL vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL and Oakland, CA spend within 4.7% of each other per resident — $31,456 versus $30,055 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 4.7% more per capita than Oakland ($1,402/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $0 |
| Other | $4,705 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $2,426 |
| Health | $332 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $955 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $0 |
| Other | $9,771 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.