San Antonio, TX vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $16,943, a 232% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 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 Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 69.9% more per capita than San Antonio ($39,329/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,790 |
| Other | $3,184 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $1,215 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $1,456 |
| Health | $293 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $593 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $325 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $5,352 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.