Sacramento, CA vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA spends 45% more per resident than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN: $71,020 against $48,948. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Sacramento, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sacramento, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN carries $2,292 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402 per resident, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Sacramento, CA at 8% of total revenue, whereas Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Sacramento spends 45.1% more per capita than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) ($22,072/person difference). Sacramento, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,465 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $378 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $3,104 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,400 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,239 | $2,444 |
| Other | $5,072 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,402 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $2,466 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $11 |
| Education | $2,684 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $3,470 | $738 |
| Health | $18 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,437 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $8,577 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $103 | $217 |
| Utilities | $19,920 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $162 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $0 | $2,081 |
| Other | $26,782 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.