Los Angeles, CA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $16,943, a 404% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Los Angeles, 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: Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111 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 Los Angeles, CA at 51% of total revenue, whereas San Antonio, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 404.2% more per capita than San Antonio ($68,490/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 | $64 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $77 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $307 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $134 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $459 | $4,025 |
| Other | $9,048 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,111 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $503 | $158 |
| Education | $829 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,286 | $1,188 |
| Health | $409 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $2,135 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,347 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $6,325 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $34 | $100 |
| Utilities | $21,992 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $630 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,586 | $0 |
| Other | $33,189 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.