Oakland, CA vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA spends 59% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $30,055 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168.
Summary
Oakland spends 59.4% more per capita than Columbus ($11,196/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,389 |
| Other | $4,337 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $878 |
| Health | $1,016 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $1 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,719 |
| Other | $13,929 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.