Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and San Diego, CA spend within 13.0% of each other per resident — $48,948 versus $43,306 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Diego, CA edges Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 53/100 (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.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. 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 Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
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 San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 13.0% more per capita than San Diego ($5,642/person difference). San Diego, CA 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 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $14 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $1,408 |
| Education | $21,061 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $700 |
| Health | $672 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $436 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $43 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $11,704 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.