Oakland, CA vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Oakland, CA spend within 15.0% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $30,055 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 13.0% more per capita than Oakland ($4,497/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 | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,847 |
| Other | $4,337 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $1,858 |
| Health | $1,016 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $122 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $129 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,983 |
| Other | $13,929 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.