New York, NY vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends San Diego, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $43,306, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, 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 San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in New York, NY at 14% of total revenue, whereas San Diego, CA relies most on other revenue at 39%.
Summary
New York spends 198.2% more per capita than San Diego ($85,813/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $124 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $63 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $194 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $57 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $14 |
| Other | $3,593 | $3,801 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $3,335 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $1,278 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $1,408 |
| Education | $37,892 | $2,005 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $700 |
| Health | $417 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $436 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $4,476 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $43 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $11,704 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $17,509 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.