San Antonio, TX vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $16,943, a 106% 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 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX 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 Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 51.4% more per capita than San Antonio ($17,907/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $0 |
| Other | $3,184 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $201 |
| Education | $23 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $215 |
| Health | $293 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $833 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $5,352 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.