Oakland, CA vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA spends 36% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $30,055 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oakland, CA edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Oakland spends 35.9% more per capita than Memphis ($7,944/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 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,077 |
| Other | $4,337 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $630 |
| Health | $1,016 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $0 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $13,929 | $8,850 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.