Miami, FL vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Miami, FL by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $28,195, a 553% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Miami, FL edges San Francisco, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 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 Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 84.7% more per capita than Miami ($155,936/person difference). Miami, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $7,961 |
| Other | $1,399 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $2,281 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $2,203 |
| Health | $0 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $8,572 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.