San Diego, CA vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $11,769, a 268% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 41%.
Summary
San Diego spends 268.0% more per capita than Arlington ($31,537/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,949 |
| Other | $3,801 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $149 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $826 |
| Health | $411 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $141 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $1,385 |
| Other | $17,509 | $4,404 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.