San Jose, CA vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $17,934, a 927% 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 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 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 San Francisco, CA at $4,119.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas San Francisco, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
San Francisco spends 90.3% more per capita than San Jose ($166,197/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 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $7,961 |
| Other | $3,519 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $2,281 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $2,203 |
| Health | $609 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $6,247 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.