San Jose, CA vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX spends 21% more per resident than San Jose, CA: $21,772 against $17,934. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Austin, TX — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 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 Austin, TX at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Austin spends 17.6% more per capita than San Jose ($3,838/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $40 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $3,247 |
| Other | $3,519 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $634 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $1,837 |
| Health | $609 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $865 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $3,264 |
| Other | $6,247 | $8,399 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.