Oakland, CA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Oakland, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $30,055, a 330% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, 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: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 76.7% more per capita than Oakland ($99,065/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,835 |
| Other | $4,337 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $1 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $1,116 |
| Health | $1,016 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $868 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $315 |
| Utilities | $0 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $13,929 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.