Memphis, TN vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 23% more per resident than San Jose, CA: $22,111 against $17,934. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 65/100 (grade B) for Memphis, TN — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 per resident. 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 Jose, CA at $1,424.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Memphis, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas San Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Memphis spends 23.3% more per capita than San Jose ($4,176/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $608 |
| Other | $3,994 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $810 |
| Health | $391 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $161 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $0 |
| Other | $8,850 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.