San Antonio, TX vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $16,943, a 77% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 68/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 43.6% more per capita than San Antonio ($13,112/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $0 |
| Other | $3,184 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $0 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $2,426 |
| Health | $293 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $955 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $0 |
| Other | $5,352 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.