Sacramento, CA vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $71,020 versus $21,772, a 226% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Sacramento, CA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sacramento, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Sacramento, CA at 8% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Sacramento spends 226.2% more per capita than Austin ($49,248/person difference). Austin, 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 | $1,465 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $378 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $3,104 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,400 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,239 | $3,247 |
| Other | $5,072 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,402 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,466 | $634 |
| Education | $2,684 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $3,470 | $1,837 |
| Health | $18 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,437 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $8,577 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $103 | $865 |
| Utilities | $19,920 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $162 | $0 |
| Other | $26,782 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.