Oakland, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $15,793, a 90% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA edges Phoenix, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (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 Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Phoenix, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Oakland spends 90.3% more per capita than Phoenix ($14,262/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 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,998 |
| Other | $4,337 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $507 |
| Health | $1,016 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $652 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $388 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,760 |
| Other | $13,929 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.