Miami, FL vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $16,943, a 66% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL 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: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Miami spends 66.4% more per capita than San Antonio ($11,253/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 | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $4,025 |
| Other | $1,399 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $1,188 |
| Health | $0 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $100 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $3,826 |
| Other | $8,572 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.