Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and Fresno, CA spend within 12.8% of each other per resident — $48,948 versus $43,387 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Fresno, CA edges Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 47/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at $21,061 per resident and in Fresno, CA at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at 10% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 12.8% more per capita than Fresno ($5,561/person difference). Fresno, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $11 |
| Other | $4,617 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $0 |
| Education | $21,061 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $1,946 |
| Health | $672 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $76 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $255 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.