Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $16,943, a 189% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, San Antonio, TX carries the lighter load at $2,131 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 188.9% more per capita than San Antonio ($32,005/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 | $373 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $4,025 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $158 |
| Education | $21,061 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $1,188 |
| Health | $672 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $100 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.