San Antonio, TX vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $16,943, a 301% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 70/100 (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.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Baltimore spends 75.1% more per capita than San Antonio ($50,992/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,192 |
| Other | $3,184 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $676 |
| Education | $23 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $714 |
| Health | $293 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $384 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $87 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $3,809 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $5,352 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.