San Jose, CA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $17,934, a 75% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Jacksonville, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 43.0% more per capita than San Jose ($13,522/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $2,119 |
| Other | $3,519 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $486 |
| Health | $609 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $176 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,942 |
| Other | $6,247 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.