Memphis, TN vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA spends 36% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $30,055 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oakland, CA edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Memphis, TN and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 26.4% more per capita than Memphis ($7,944/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 | $496 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $0 |
| Other | $3,994 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $2,426 |
| Health | $391 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $955 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $0 |
| Other | $8,850 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.