San Diego, CA vs Minneapolis, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Minneapolis, MN by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $21,910, a 98% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Minneapolis, MN carries $644 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 Minneapolis, MN leads with parks and recreation at $3,486.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 39% of total revenue in San Diego, CA and 17% in Minneapolis, MN.
Summary
San Diego spends 97.7% more per capita than Minneapolis ($21,397/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $1,989 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $994 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $2,929 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,040 |
| Other | $3,801 | $3,254 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $683 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $221 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $1,500 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $3,486 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $4,133 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $570 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,398 |
| Other | $17,509 | $8,919 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.