San Jose, CA vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $17,934 versus $9,085, a 97% 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 82/100 (grade A) for Las Vegas, NV — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 9% of total revenue in San Jose, CA and 34% in Las Vegas, NV.
Summary
San Jose spends 97.4% more per capita than Las Vegas ($8,849/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 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $0 |
| Other | $3,519 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $705 |
| Health | $609 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $332 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $129 |
| Other | $6,247 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.