San Antonio, TX vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $16,943, a 1336% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, San Antonio, TX carries the lighter load at $2,131 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 93.0% more per capita than San Antonio ($226,398/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $4,070 |
| Other | $3,184 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $396 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $1,435 |
| Education | $23 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $2,498 |
| Health | $293 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $5,352 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.