San Diego, CA vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Portland, OR by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $23,675, a 83% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Portland, OR carries $1,574 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 Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Portland, OR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
San Diego spends 82.9% more per capita than Portland ($19,632/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $3,883 |
| Other | $3,801 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $139 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $3,607 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $630 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $1,845 |
| Other | $17,509 | $6,689 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.