Washington, DC vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Fresno, CA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $43,387, a 461% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fresno, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 50/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Washington, DC at $53,224 per resident and in Fresno, CA at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Washington, DC at 7% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Washington spends 460.9% more per capita than Fresno ($199,954/person difference). Fresno, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $11 |
| Other | $11,518 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $0 |
| Education | $53,224 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,946 |
| Health | $1,009 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $76 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $2,856 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $0 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $255 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.