Oakland, CA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $16,943, a 77% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 68/100 (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 San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Oakland spends 77.4% more per capita than San Antonio ($13,112/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $522 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $4,025 |
| Other | $4,337 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $1,188 |
| Health | $1,016 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $100 |
| Utilities | $0 | $3,826 |
| Other | $13,929 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.