San Antonio, TX vs Plano, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Antonio, TX and Plano, TX spend within 0.6% of each other per resident — $16,943 versus $16,842 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Plano, TX edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 75/100 (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.
On debt, Plano, TX carries the lighter load at $663 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 Plano, TX at $1,518.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Antonio, TX at 17% of total revenue, whereas Plano, TX relies most on charges and fees at 20%.
Summary
San Antonio spends 0.6% more per capita than Plano ($101/person difference). Plano, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $644 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $731 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $2,683 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $3,976 |
| Other | $3,184 | $3,004 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $125 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $319 |
| Education | $23 | $34 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $283 |
| Health | $293 | $463 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $194 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $1,518 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $3,356 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $145 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $4,137 |
| Other | $5,352 | $6,268 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.