San Diego, CA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends San Diego, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $43,306, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas New York, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
New York spends 66.5% more per capita than San Diego ($85,813/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $1,835 |
| Other | $3,801 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $221 |
| Education | $2,005 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $1,116 |
| Health | $411 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $868 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $315 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $17,509 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.