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

Updated April 2026 · U.S. Census Bureau data

California City Spending Rankings

California has 187 cities with 50,000 or more residents covered by CitySpend, totaling 28.0M in covered population. The average Fiscal Health Score across these cities is 56/100, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. California's covered cities post an average Fiscal Health Score of 56/100 (grade C), squarely in the middle of the national distribution. Some California cities are running clean books and adequately funded pensions; others are showing strain on debt service or pension contributions. The split is visible in the rankings below.

View full data profile for California →
Cities
187
Total Population
28.0M
Avg Fiscal Score
56/100
Total Police Spending
$52.3B

California Fiscal Profile

Across all covered California cities, the largest aggregate spending categories are police at $52.3B and education at $32.4B. That mix reflects California's overall service-delivery model, in some states police and fire dominate; in others, education or roads take the largest aggregate share when cities operate their own school districts.

Healthiest and Most Stressed Cities

Top Fiscal Performers

San Jose1.0M
A
Irvine305K
A
Chula Vista276K
A
Elk Grove176K
A
Hawthorne87K
A

Most Fiscally Stressed

Palo Alto68K
D
Yuba City70K
D
San Bernardino221K
D
Napa79K
D
Merced88K
D

All 187 Cities in California

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Fresno, CA

Pop. 542K

C
Total Spending
$23.5B
Per Capita
$43,387

Sacramento, CA

Pop. 524K

C
Total Spending
$37.2B
Per Capita
$71,020

Long Beach, CA

Pop. 462K

B
Total Spending
$15.8B
Per Capita
$34,250

Oakland, CA

Pop. 438K

B
Total Spending
$13.2B
Per Capita
$30,055

Bakersfield, CA

Pop. 404K

C
Total Spending
$4.7B
Per Capita
$11,576

Anaheim, CA

Pop. 347K

B
Total Spending
$8.2B
Per Capita
$23,533

Stockton, CA

Pop. 320K

A
Total Spending
$4.0B
Per Capita
$12,349

Riverside, CA

Pop. 316K

C
Total Spending
$59.4B
Per Capita
$188,026

Santa Ana, CA

Pop. 311K

C
Total Spending
$6.9B
Per Capita
$22,117

Irvine, CA

Pop. 305K

A
Total Spending
$3.8B
Per Capita
$12,561

Chula Vista, CA

Pop. 276K

A
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$10,149

Fremont, CA

Pop. 229K

B
Total Spending
$3.8B
Per Capita
$16,439

Santa Clarita, CA

Pop. 226K

A
Total Spending
$2.0B
Per Capita
$8,679

San Bernardino, CA

Pop. 221K

D
Total Spending
$52.7B
Per Capita
$238,232

Modesto, CA

Pop. 218K

B
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$13,306

Moreno Valley, CA

Pop. 210K

B
Total Spending
$2.4B
Per Capita
$11,287

Fontana, CA

Pop. 209K

A
Total Spending
$2.6B
Per Capita
$12,317

Oxnard, CA

Pop. 202K

B
Total Spending
$4.1B
Per Capita
$20,458

Huntington Beach, CA

Pop. 197K

B
Total Spending
$3.6B
Per Capita
$18,134

Glendale, CA

Pop. 195K

D
Total Spending
$5.5B
Per Capita
$28,345

Santa Rosa, CA

Pop. 178K

B
Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$16,749

Ontario, CA

Pop. 176K

C
Total Spending
$10.8B
Per Capita
$61,412

Elk Grove, CA

Pop. 176K

A
Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$8,768

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Pop. 175K

C
Total Spending
$2.3B
Per Capita
$12,967

Oceanside, CA

Pop. 174K

C
Total Spending
$3.5B
Per Capita
$20,274

Garden Grove, CA

Pop. 172K

C

Lancaster, CA

Pop. 171K

C

Palmdale, CA

Pop. 167K

C

Salinas, CA

Pop. 163K

C

Hayward, CA

Pop. 161K

C
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$17,294

Corona, CA

Pop. 158K

A
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$17,606

Sunnyvale, CA

Pop. 155K

C
Total Spending
$3.8B
Per Capita
$24,354

Escondido, CA

Pop. 151K

C

Pomona, CA

Pop. 150K

B
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$17,754

Roseville, CA

Pop. 149K

B
Total Spending
$3.3B
Per Capita
$21,878

Torrance, CA

Pop. 145K

C
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$25,702

Fullerton, CA

Pop. 142K

C
Total Spending
$1.9B
Per Capita
$13,554

Visalia, CA

Pop. 141K

B
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$11,943

Orange, CA

Pop. 139K

D
Total Spending
$51.6B
Per Capita
$372,005

Pasadena, CA

Pop. 138K

B
Total Spending
$5.2B
Per Capita
$38,011

Victorville, CA

Pop. 134K

B
Total Spending
$1.8B
Per Capita
$13,225

Santa Clara, CA

Pop. 128K

C
Total Spending
$103.4B
Per Capita
$807,303

Thousand Oaks, CA

Pop. 127K

C

Simi Valley, CA

Pop. 126K

C
Total Spending
$1.8B
Per Capita
$13,872

Vallejo, CA

Pop. 125K

C

Concord, CA

Pop. 125K

C

Berkeley, CA

Pop. 121K

C

Clovis, CA

Pop. 121K

C
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$14,328

Fairfield, CA

Pop. 119K

B
Total Spending
$2.1B
Per Capita
$17,739

East Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 117K

C

Richmond, CA

Pop. 116K

A
Total Spending
$2.5B
Per Capita
$21,469

Antioch, CA

Pop. 115K

C

Carlsbad, CA

Pop. 115K

D
Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$26,553

Downey, CA

Pop. 113K

C

Murrieta, CA

Pop. 112K

C

Costa Mesa, CA

Pop. 111K

C

San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA

Pop. 110K

D
Total Spending
$24.3B
Per Capita
$220,511

Temecula, CA

Pop. 110K

C

Santa Maria, CA

Pop. 110K

C

El Monte, CA

Pop. 109K

C

West Covina, CA

Pop. 108K

C

Inglewood, CA

Pop. 107K

C

Burbank, CA

Pop. 106K

D
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$26,877

El Cajon, CA

Pop. 106K

C

Jurupa Valley, CA

Pop. 106K

C

San Mateo, CA

Pop. 104K

C
Total Spending
$19.3B
Per Capita
$185,341

Rialto, CA

Pop. 104K

C

Menifee, CA

Pop. 104K

C

Daly City, CA

Pop. 104K

C

Chico, CA

Pop. 103K

C

Norwalk, CA

Pop. 102K

C

Vacaville, CA

Pop. 102K

C
Total Spending
$2.0B
Per Capita
$19,379

Hesperia, CA

Pop. 100K

C

Vista, CA

Pop. 98K

C

Arden-Arcade, CA

Pop. 96K

C

Compton, CA

Pop. 95K

C

Carson, CA

Pop. 94K

A
Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$12,719

San Marcos, CA

Pop. 94K

C

Tracy, CA

Pop. 94K

C

Redding, CA

Pop. 93K

C

Mission Viejo, CA

Pop. 93K

A
Total Spending
$857.5M
Per Capita
$9,197

South Gate, CA

Pop. 92K

C

Santa Monica, CA

Pop. 92K

D
Total Spending
$7.4B
Per Capita
$79,891

Chino, CA

Pop. 91K

C

Westminster, CA

Pop. 91K

C

San Leandro, CA

Pop. 90K

C
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$18,791

Hemet, CA

Pop. 90K

C

Indio, CA

Pop. 90K

B
Total Spending
$1.3B
Per Capita
$14,969

Santa Barbara, CA

Pop. 89K

C
Total Spending
$12.3B
Per Capita
$139,120

Merced, CA

Pop. 88K

D
Total Spending
$6.8B
Per Capita
$77,022

Livermore, CA

Pop. 87K

C

Citrus Heights, CA

Pop. 87K

C

Hawthorne, CA

Pop. 87K

A
Total Spending
$1.1B
Per Capita
$12,805

Whittier, CA

Pop. 86K

C

San Ramon, CA

Pop. 86K

C

Lake Forest, CA

Pop. 86K

C

Newport Beach, CA

Pop. 85K

C
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$34,359

Manteca, CA

Pop. 84K

C

Buena Park, CA

Pop. 84K

C

Redwood City, CA

Pop. 83K

C

Alhambra, CA

Pop. 82K

C

Mountain View, CA

Pop. 82K

C
Total Spending
$2.9B
Per Capita
$35,744

Lakewood, CA

Pop. 81K

C

Folsom, CA

Pop. 81K

B
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$17,333

Tustin, CA

Pop. 80K

C

Napa, CA

Pop. 79K

D
Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$55,211

Rancho Cordova, CA

Pop. 79K

D
Total Spending
$2.3B
Per Capita
$28,628

Milpitas, CA

Pop. 79K

C
Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$19,295

Perris, CA

Pop. 79K

C

Upland, CA

Pop. 79K

B
Total Spending
$936.1M
Per Capita
$11,873

Pleasanton, CA

Pop. 79K

C

Bellflower, CA

Pop. 78K

C

Chino Hills, CA

Pop. 78K

C

Carmichael, CA

Pop. 78K

C

Alameda, CA

Pop. 78K

C
Total Spending
$49.4B
Per Capita
$637,110

Pittsburg, CA

Pop. 76K

A
Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$15,361

Apple Valley, CA

Pop. 76K

B
Total Spending
$560.0M
Per Capita
$7,407

Redlands, CA

Pop. 73K

C

Turlock, CA

Pop. 73K

C

Baldwin Park, CA

Pop. 72K

C

Rocklin, CA

Pop. 72K

C

Dublin, CA

Pop. 71K

C

Camarillo, CA

Pop. 71K

C

Redondo Beach, CA

Pop. 71K

C

Lake Elsinore, CA

Pop. 70K

C

Walnut Creek, CA

Pop. 70K

C

Eastvale, CA

Pop. 70K

C

Yuba City, CA

Pop. 70K

D
Total Spending
$2.3B
Per Capita
$33,705

Union City, CA

Pop. 70K

C

Tulare, CA

Pop. 69K

C
Total Spending
$11.9B
Per Capita
$172,207

Yorba Linda, CA

Pop. 68K

C

Palo Alto, CA

Pop. 68K

D
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$40,221

Davis, CA

Pop. 67K

C
Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$22,606

Madera, CA

Pop. 67K

C
Total Spending
$4.0B
Per Capita
$60,288

Lodi, CA

Pop. 67K

B
Total Spending
$1.0B
Per Capita
$15,436

Lynwood, CA

Pop. 66K

A
Total Spending
$727.7M
Per Capita
$10,968

South San Francisco, CA

Pop. 66K

B
Total Spending
$2.2B
Per Capita
$33,936

Castro Valley, CA

Pop. 65K

C

Brentwood, CA

Pop. 64K

C

Laguna Niguel, CA

Pop. 64K

C
Total Spending
$670.0M
Per Capita
$10,426

San Clemente, CA

Pop. 64K

C
Total Spending
$1.1B
Per Capita
$16,853

Florence-Graham, CA

Pop. 63K

C

La Habra, CA

Pop. 63K

A
Total Spending
$976.0M
Per Capita
$15,515

Porterville, CA

Pop. 62K

C

Montebello, CA

Pop. 62K

C

Encinitas, CA

Pop. 62K

C

Pico Rivera, CA

Pop. 62K

C

Santa Cruz, CA

Pop. 61K

C
Total Spending
$8.5B
Per Capita
$138,595

Woodland, CA

Pop. 61K

C

San Rafael, CA

Pop. 61K

C

La Mesa, CA

Pop. 61K

C

Monterey Park, CA

Pop. 60K

C
Total Spending
$14.7B
Per Capita
$243,079

Gardena, CA

Pop. 60K

C

Cupertino, CA

Pop. 60K

C

Petaluma, CA

Pop. 60K

C
Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$20,531

Santee, CA

Pop. 59K

C

Gilroy, CA

Pop. 59K

A
Total Spending
$735.5M
Per Capita
$12,531

Hanford, CA

Pop. 58K

C

South Whittier, CA

Pop. 57K

C

Highland, CA

Pop. 57K

C

Fountain Valley, CA

Pop. 57K

B
Total Spending
$861.3M
Per Capita
$15,176

National City, CA

Pop. 56K

C

Arcadia, CA

Pop. 56K

C

Hacienda Heights, CA

Pop. 55K

C

Huntington Park, CA

Pop. 55K

C
Total Spending
$3.6B
Per Capita
$65,653

Diamond Bar, CA

Pop. 55K

C

Yucaipa, CA

Pop. 54K

C

West Sacramento, CA

Pop. 54K

C

San Jacinto, CA

Pop. 54K

C

Colton, CA

Pop. 54K

C

Beaumont, CA

Pop. 54K

C

Paramount, CA

Pop. 53K

C

Novato, CA

Pop. 53K

B
Total Spending
$701.1M
Per Capita
$13,215

Watsonville, CA

Pop. 52K

C

Glendora, CA

Pop. 52K

C

Cathedral City, CA

Pop. 52K

A
Total Spending
$667.9M
Per Capita
$12,853

Aliso Viejo, CA

Pop. 52K

C

Placentia, CA

Pop. 52K

C

Palm Desert, CA

Pop. 51K

C

Rosemead, CA

Pop. 51K

C

Covina, CA

Pop. 51K

C

Delano, CA

Pop. 50K

C

Lincoln, CA

Pop. 50K

C

How These Rankings Are Calculated

City Fiscal Health Scores combine budget balance and reserves (25%), debt burden per capita (20%), pension funded ratio (20%), spending efficiency (15%), revenue diversity (10%), and three-year trend direction (10%). All inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. For the largest cities, we cross-reference the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities database to adjust for school-district and county overlap. Pension data comes from the Public Plans Database. Best-practice weighting follows guidance from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Read the full methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cities in California are covered by CitySpend?

CitySpend covers 187 cities in California with 50,000 or more residents, totaling 28.0M in population. Smaller municipalities, towns, and unincorporated areas are excluded from the dataset.

What is California's average Fiscal Health Score?

California's 187 covered cities post an average Fiscal Health Score of 56/100. The score combines budget balance and reserves, debt burden per capita, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and three-year trend direction. Each city is benchmarked against population peers, so a 200,000-resident city is compared to other mid-size cities, not against the largest cities in the country.

Where does California city spending data come from?

Every figure on this page is drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, with population estimates from the American Community Survey. For the largest cities, we cross-reference the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities database to adjust for school-district overlap. Federal grant flows come from USASpending.gov; pension data, where available, comes from the Public Plans Database.

Which California cities have the strongest fiscal health?

San Jose (A), Irvine (A), Chula Vista (A) rank among the top fiscal performers in California. Strong scores typically pair balanced budgets with low debt-per-capita and well-funded pensions. See the rankings below for the full list.

Which California cities are most fiscally stressed?

Palo Alto (D), Yuba City (D), San Bernardino (D) rank toward the bottom of the California fiscal health distribution. Common stress signals include pension underfunding, elevated debt service, and revenue concentration in a single tax source. A low score is a screening signal, not a verdict, always read the city's audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (ACFR) before drawing conclusions.

California has 187 cities with 50,000 or more residents covered by CitySpend, totaling 28.0M in covered population. The average Fiscal Health Score across these cities is 56/100, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. California's covered cities post an average Fiscal Health Score of 56/100 (grade C), squarely in the middle of the national distribution. Some California cities are running clean books and adequately funded pensions; others are showing strain on debt service or pension contributions. The split is visible in the rankings below.

The this entity record above pulls directly from the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. municipal and county government finances distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.

The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.

Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. cities, counties, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.