Omaha, NE vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $17,934 versus $11,180, a 60% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Omaha, NE and San Jose, CA both land at 90/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Omaha, NE at $742 per resident and in San Jose, CA at $1,424.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Omaha, NE and 9% in San Jose, CA.
Summary
San Jose spends 37.7% more per capita than Omaha ($6,754/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $624 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,622 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $608 |
| Other | $4,672 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,521 | $810 |
| Health | $456 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $742 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $3,045 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $161 |
| Utilities | $581 | $2,533 |
| Other | $4,516 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.