San Antonio, TX vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $16,943, a 104% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 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 Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 51.0% more per capita than San Antonio ($17,609/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 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,847 |
| Other | $3,184 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $930 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $1,858 |
| Health | $293 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $122 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $129 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $2,983 |
| Other | $5,352 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.