San Francisco, CA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Jacksonville, FL by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $31,456, a 485% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Jacksonville, FL edges San Francisco, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 53/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, San Francisco, CA carries the lighter load at $2,031 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. 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 Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in San Francisco, CA and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
San Francisco spends 485.4% more per capita than Jacksonville ($152,675/person difference). Jacksonville, FL 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 | $148 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $2,119 |
| Other | $18,918 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $486 |
| Health | $1,911 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $176 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $1,942 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $0 |
| Other | $93,702 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.