San Jose, CA vs Omaha, NE
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $17,934 versus $11,180, a 60% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: San Jose, CA and Omaha, NE both land at 90/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
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 Omaha, NE at $742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 9% of total revenue in San Jose, CA and 17% in Omaha, NE.
Summary
San Jose spends 60.4% more per capita than Omaha ($6,754/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $40 | $624 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $2,622 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $0 |
| Other | $3,519 | $4,672 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $319 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $1,521 |
| Health | $609 | $456 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $742 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $3,045 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $581 |
| Other | $6,247 | $4,516 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.