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

Mesa, AZ

Population: 503,390 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

A
90/100

Excellent fiscal health — strong reserves, low debt, well-funded pensions

Total Spending
$6.4B
Per Capita
$12,768
Total Revenue
$18.0B
Total Debt
$236.3M

Spending Breakdown

Housing & Community Development
32.8%$2.1B
Other
24.1%$1.6B
Utilities
18.6%$1.2B
Parks & Recreation
7.5%$479.9M
Public Welfare
6.5%$417.2M
Hospitals
4.2%$270.2M
Fire Protection
3.3%$212.4M
Highways & Roads
1.5%$96.8M
Health
1.2%$74.2M
Sewerage
0.3%$19.3M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$23.8M
Sales Tax
1.3%$233.0M
Income Tax
3.9%$692.7M
Intergovernmental
3.9%$696.3M
Charges & Fees
9.3%$1.7B
Other
6.3%$1.1B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$422/person
Highways & Roads$192/person
Parks & Recreation$953/person
Health$147/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$236.3M
Long-Term Debt$373.6M
Debt Per Capita$469
Cash & Securities$245.2M

Compare Cities

See how Mesa stacks up against another city.

vs Phoenix, AZvs Tucson, AZvs Chandler, AZ
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Pop. 1.6M

B
Total Spending
$25.4B
Per Capita
$15,793

Tucson, AZ

Pop. 541K

C
Total Spending
$8.5B
Per Capita
$15,759

Chandler, AZ

Pop. 276K

C
Total Spending
$4.1B
Per Capita
$14,811

Gilbert, AZ

Pop. 267K

C
Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$11,239

Compare Mesa With

Phoenix, AZ

Spending: $15,793/person · Grade: B

Tucson, AZ

Spending: $15,759/person · Grade: C

Chandler, AZ

Spending: $14,811/person · Grade: C

Gilbert, AZ

Spending: $11,239/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Mesa, AZ spends $12,768 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.4B for a population of 503,390. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of A (90/100).

Mesa, AZ has total expenditures of $6.4B and total revenue of $18.0B. The city carries $236.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Mesa, AZ employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Mesa, AZ has a Fiscal Health Score of A (90/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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