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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Tulsa, OK vs Oakland, CA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Oakland, CA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $5,250, a 472% 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 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

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: health leads in Tulsa, OK at $762 per resident and in Oakland, CA at $1,016.

Summary

Oakland spends 82.5% more per capita than Tulsa ($24,804/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tulsa, OK
Pop. 411,938
C
56/100
Budget Balance4
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Oakland, CA
Pop. 437,825
B
72/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency43
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tulsa
Oakland
Total Spending
$2.2B
$13.2B
Spending / Capita
$5,250
$30,055
Total Revenue
$0
$18.5B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$42,277
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
411,938
437,825
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Tulsa$628
Oakland$0
Fire Protection
Tulsa$196
Oakland$1
Highways & Roads
Tulsa$257
Oakland$0
Parks & Recreation
Tulsa$154
Oakland$955
Health
Tulsa$762
Oakland$1,016

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TulsaOakland
Sales Tax
$97
$522
Intergovernmental
$0
$42,277
Other
$53
$4,337

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TulsaOakland
Police
$628
$0
Fire Protection
$196
$1
Highways & Roads
$257
$0
Public Welfare
$86
$2,426
Health
$762
$1,016
Hospitals
$0
$2,498
Parks & Recreation
$154
$955
Housing
$350
$7,811
Sewerage
$27
$1,417
Utilities
$41
$0
Other
$2,748
$13,929
C
Tulsa, OK
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health
B
Oakland, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 72/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.