Does New York City really have a bigger budget than the state of Florida?

Florida’s 2025–26 fiscal budget is $1.5 billion larger than New York City’s.

Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed on Oct. 15 that the Big Apple’s budget was bigger, but the Sunshine State’s current spending plan totals $117.4 billion, compared with New York’s $115.9 billion — a difference of 1.3%.

While DeSantis’ claim was inaccurate, the contrast he sought to draw holds some truth: Because New York City has three times fewer residents than Florida — 8.48 million versus 23.3 million — its per-capita spending far outpaces that of the Sunshine State’s.

NYC’s budget rose $3.5 billion from the previous fiscal year and includes expanded library services, increased funding for educational programs and strengthened public safety programs. Florida’s rose $900 million and includes a permanent “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday in August, additional funding for teacher salaries and a sales tax holiday on firearms.