Philadelphia, PA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $16,943, a 232% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 232.1% more per capita than San Antonio ($39,329/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $4,025 |
| Other | $4,029 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $158 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $1,188 |
| Health | $229 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $100 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.