Washington, DC vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Oakland, CA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $30,055, a 710% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 100% in Oakland, CA.
Summary
Washington spends 709.7% more per capita than Oakland ($213,286/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 | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $0 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $0 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $2,426 |
| Health | $1,009 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $955 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.