New York, NY vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $16,943, a 662% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX edges New York, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 64/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
New York spends 662.1% more per capita than San Antonio ($112,177/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 | $5 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $4,025 |
| Other | $3,593 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $158 |
| Education | $37,892 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $1,188 |
| Health | $417 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $100 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.