San Antonio, TX vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $16,943, a 662% 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 New York, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 64/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 86.9% more per capita than San Antonio ($112,177/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $1,835 |
| Other | $3,184 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $221 |
| Education | $23 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $1,116 |
| Health | $293 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $868 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $315 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $5,352 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.