Memphis, TN vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 31% more per resident than San Antonio, TX: $22,111 against $16,943. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
San Antonio, TX edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 68/100 (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.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Memphis, TN and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Memphis spends 30.5% more per capita than San Antonio ($5,168/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 | $10 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $4,025 |
| Other | $3,994 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $1,188 |
| Health | $391 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $100 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $0 |
| Other | $8,850 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.