Plano, TX vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Antonio, TX and Plano, TX spend within 0.6% of each other per resident — $16,943 versus $16,842 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Plano, TX edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 75/100 (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.
On debt, Plano, TX carries the lighter load at $663 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Plano, TX at $1,518 per resident and in San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Plano, TX at 20% of total revenue, whereas San Antonio, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
Summary
San Antonio spends 0.6% more per capita than Plano ($101/person difference). Plano, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $644 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $731 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,683 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,976 | $4,025 |
| Other | $3,004 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $125 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $158 |
| Education | $34 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $283 | $1,188 |
| Health | $463 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $194 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,518 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $3,356 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $145 | $100 |
| Utilities | $4,137 | $3,826 |
| Other | $6,268 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.