San Francisco, CA vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $34,849, a 428% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in San Francisco, CA and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
San Francisco spends 428.4% more per capita than Dallas ($149,282/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $148 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $0 |
| Other | $18,918 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $215 |
| Health | $1,911 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $0 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $0 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $0 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $25,827 |
| Other | $93,702 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.