Oakland, CA vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA and Miami, FL spend within 6.6% of each other per resident — $30,055 versus $28,195 — 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 100% in Miami, FL.
Summary
Oakland spends 6.6% more per capita than Miami ($1,859/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $1,647 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Other | $4,337 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $7,399 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $109 |
| Health | $1,016 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $699 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,295 |
| Other | $13,929 | $8,572 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.