Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $17,934, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 43-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, 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 Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424.
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 Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 172.9% more per capita than San Jose ($31,013/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $608 |
| Other | $4,617 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $0 |
| Education | $21,061 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $810 |
| Health | $672 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $161 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $0 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.