San Antonio, TX vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Antonio, TX outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $16,943 versus $9,085, a 86% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 68/100 (grade B) for San Antonio, TX — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Antonio, TX carries $2,131 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Antonio, TX at $1,045 per resident and in Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Antonio, TX at 17% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
San Antonio spends 86.5% more per capita than Las Vegas ($7,857/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $0 |
| Other | $3,184 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $45 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $705 |
| Health | $293 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $332 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $129 |
| Other | $5,352 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.