San Antonio, TX vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $16,943, a 327% 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 56/100 (grade C) for Boston, MA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. 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 Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 76.6% more per capita than San Antonio ($55,356/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 | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,784 |
| Other | $3,184 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $594 |
| Education | $23 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $1,110 |
| Health | $293 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $711 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $355 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $5,352 | $18,955 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.