Tucson, AZ vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $15,759, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Oakland spends 47.6% more per capita than Tucson ($14,295/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $0 |
| Other | $952 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $2,426 |
| Health | $0 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $955 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.