Miami, FL vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA and Miami, FL spend within 6.6% of each other per resident — $30,055 versus $28,195 — 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 Miami, FL — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 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 Miami, FL and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 6.2% more per capita than Miami ($1,859/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 | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $522 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Other | $1,399 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $2,426 |
| Health | $0 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $955 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $0 |
| Other | $8,572 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.