San Jose, CA vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 23% more per resident than San Jose, CA: $22,111 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 65/100 (grade B) for Memphis, TN — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Memphis, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Memphis spends 18.9% more per capita than San Jose ($4,176/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 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $2,077 |
| Other | $3,519 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $630 |
| Health | $609 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $6,247 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.