San Francisco, CA vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $9,085, a 1927% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Francisco, CA at $4,119 per resident and in Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Francisco, CA at 7% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
San Francisco spends 1926.7% more per capita than Las Vegas ($175,046/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $148 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $0 |
| Other | $18,918 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $705 |
| Health | $1,911 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $332 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $0 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $0 |
| Other | $93,702 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.