New York, NY vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Oakland, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $30,055, a 330% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
New York spends 329.6% more per capita than Oakland ($99,065/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $0 |
| Other | $3,593 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $0 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $2,426 |
| Health | $417 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $955 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.