San Diego, CA vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA spends 25% more per resident than Chicago, IL: $43,306 against $34,551. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Chicago, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 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 Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
San Diego spends 25.3% more per capita than Chicago ($8,755/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,847 |
| Other | $3,801 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $930 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $1,858 |
| Health | $411 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $129 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,983 |
| Other | $17,509 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.