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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

San Jose, CA vs Albuquerque, NM

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

San Jose, CA and Albuquerque, NM spend within 4.0% of each other per resident — $17,934 versus $17,237 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 81/100 (grade A) for Albuquerque, NM — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Albuquerque, NM carries $613 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Jose, CA at $1,424 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.

Summary

San Jose spends 4.0% more per capita than Albuquerque ($697/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
San Jose, CA
Pop. 1,001,176
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency98
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Albuquerque, NM
Pop. 562,551
A
81/100
Budget Balance68
Debt Burden94
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
San Jose
Albuquerque
Total Spending
$18.0B
$9.7B
Spending / Capita
$17,934
$17,237
Total Revenue
$38.1B
$13.3B
Revenue / Capita
$38,091
$23,652
Total Debt
$0
$344.9M
Debt / Capita
$0
$613
Population
1,001,176
562,551
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
San Jose$0
Albuquerque$440
Highways & Roads
San Jose$0
Albuquerque$172
Parks & Recreation
San Jose$1,424
Albuquerque$1,990
Health
San Jose$609
Albuquerque$291

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

San JoseAlbuquerque
Property Tax
$40
$36
Sales Tax
$315
$355
Income Tax
$1,935
$1,580
Intergovernmental
$2,680
$1,897
Charges & Fees
$608
$2,633
Other
$3,519
$2,174

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

San JoseAlbuquerque
Fire Protection
$0
$440
Highways & Roads
$0
$172
Public Welfare
$810
$419
Health
$609
$291
Hospitals
$1,254
$328
Parks & Recreation
$1,424
$1,990
Housing
$4,897
$4,080
Sewerage
$161
$0
Utilities
$2,533
$5,212
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,096
Other
$6,247
$3,209
A
San Jose, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Albuquerque, NM
Fiscal Health Score: 81/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.