San Jose, CA vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $17,934, a 91% 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 67/100 (grade B) for Long Beach, CA — a 23-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 Long Beach, CA at $698.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 9% of total revenue in San Jose, CA and 12% in Long Beach, CA.
Summary
Long Beach spends 47.6% more per capita than San Jose ($16,316/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 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $2,424 |
| Other | $3,519 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Public Welfare | $810 | $1,317 |
| Health | $609 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $698 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $86 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,718 |
| Other | $6,247 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.