San Diego, CA vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $25,457, a 70% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 32-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Atlanta, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 6%.
Summary
San Diego spends 70.1% more per capita than Atlanta ($17,849/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $5,645 |
| Other | $3,801 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $513 |
| Education | $2,005 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $1,587 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $343 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $8,026 |
| Other | $17,509 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.