San Diego, CA vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA and San Diego, CA spend within 0.2% of each other per resident — $43,387 versus $43,306 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Diego, CA edges Fresno, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 50/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 39% of total revenue in San Diego, CA and 19% in Fresno, CA.
Summary
Fresno spends 0.2% more per capita than San Diego ($81/person difference). San Diego, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $11 |
| Other | $3,801 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $0 |
| Education | $2,005 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $1,946 |
| Health | $411 | $599 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $76 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $0 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $255 |
| Other | $17,509 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.