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

Phoenix, AZ

Population: 1,609,456 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
67/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$25.4B
Per Capita
$15,793
Total Revenue
$81.6B
Total Debt
$1.9B

Spending Breakdown

Housing & Community Development
24.6%$6.2B
Other
24.6%$6.2B
Utilities
15.7%$4.0B
Interest on Debt
11.1%$2.8B
Hospitals
9.6%$2.4B
Parks & Recreation
4.1%$1.0B
Public Welfare
3.2%$815.9M
Sewerage
2.5%$624.3M
Health
1.6%$414.5M
Education
1.4%$344.5M
Fire Protection
1.1%$273.0M
Highways & Roads
0.5%$138.7M

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
0.0%$11.3M
Sales Tax
0.7%$544.7M
Income Tax
2.5%$2.0B
Intergovernmental
100.0%$81.6B
Charges & Fees
5.9%$4.8B
Other
4.0%$3.3B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$170/person
Highways & Roads$86/person
Parks & Recreation$652/person
Education$214/person
Health$258/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)93/100
Debt Burden (20%)45/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$1.9B
Long-Term Debt$738.0M
Debt Per Capita$1,156
Cash & Securities$701.0M

Compare Cities

See how Phoenix stacks up against another city.

vs Tucson, AZvs Mesa, 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

Tucson, AZ

Pop. 541K

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

Mesa, AZ

Pop. 503K

A
Total Spending
$6.4B
Per Capita
$12,768

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 Phoenix With

Tucson, AZ

Spending: $15,759/person · Grade: C

Mesa, AZ

Spending: $12,768/person · Grade: A

Chandler, AZ

Spending: $14,811/person · Grade: C

Gilbert, AZ

Spending: $11,239/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Phoenix, AZ spends $15,793 per resident, based on total expenditures of $25.4B for a population of 1,609,456. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (67/100).

Phoenix, AZ has total expenditures of $25.4B and total revenue of $81.6B. The city carries $1.9B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Phoenix, 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.

Phoenix, AZ has a Fiscal Health Score of B (67/100). 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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