San Jose, CA vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $17,934, a 620% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas New York, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
New York spends 86.1% more per capita than San Jose ($111,185/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $1,835 |
| Other | $3,519 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $1,116 |
| Health | $609 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $868 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $315 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $6,247 | $25,380 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.