Minneapolis, MN vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Minneapolis, MN by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $21,910, a 98% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Minneapolis, MN carries $644 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Minneapolis, MN leads with parks and recreation at $3,486 per resident, while San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Minneapolis, MN and 39% in San Diego, CA.
Summary
San Diego spends 49.4% more per capita than Minneapolis ($21,397/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $1,989 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $994 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,929 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,040 | $14 |
| Other | $3,254 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $683 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $1,408 |
| Education | $0 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $700 |
| Health | $0 | $411 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,486 | $436 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $570 | $43 |
| Utilities | $2,398 | $11,704 |
| Other | $8,919 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.