San Francisco, CA vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $20,200, a 812% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Francisco, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 48/100 (grade D) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, San Francisco, CA carries the lighter load at $2,031 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Francisco, CA at 7% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
San Francisco spends 811.5% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($163,931/person difference). San Francisco, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 48/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $148 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $3,823 |
| Other | $18,918 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $1,132 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $1,849 |
| Health | $1,911 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $249 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $1,517 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $0 |
| Other | $93,702 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.