San Jose, CA vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY and San Jose, CA spend within 12.6% of each other per resident — $20,200 versus $17,934 — 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 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 55-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries $3,553 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 9% of total revenue in San Jose, CA and 103% in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 11.2% more per capita than San Jose ($2,266/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $3,823 |
| Other | $3,519 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $1,132 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $1,849 |
| Health | $609 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $249 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,517 |
| Other | $6,247 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.