San Antonio, TX vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 31% more per resident than San Antonio, TX: $22,111 against $16,943. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
San Antonio, TX edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Memphis spends 23.4% more per capita than San Antonio ($5,168/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,077 |
| Other | $3,184 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $277 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $630 |
| Health | $293 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $5,352 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.