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

Surprise, AZ

Population: 145,591 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
59/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$2.1B
Per Capita
$14,436
Total Revenue
$502.8M
Total Debt
$45.0M

Spending Breakdown

Other
23.6%$495.5M
Housing & Community Development
19.2%$403.1M
Public Welfare
16.4%$343.7M
Parks & Recreation
14.1%$295.8M
Utilities
12.2%$256.9M
Hospitals
8.3%$174.7M
Fire Protection
6.0%$126.7M
Interest on Debt
0.3%$5.5M

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

Sales Tax
2.9%$14.6M
Income Tax
19.5%$98.0M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$502.8M
Charges & Fees
30.0%$150.9M
Other
86.1%$432.7M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$870/person
Parks & Recreation$2,032/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)18/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)94/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$45.0M
Long-Term Debt$32.7M
Debt Per Capita$309
Cash & Securities$22.4M

Compare Cities

See how Surprise stacks up against another city.

vs Phoenix, AZvs Tucson, AZvs Mesa, 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

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

Compare Surprise With

Phoenix, AZ

Spending: $15,793/person · Grade: B

Tucson, AZ

Spending: $15,759/person · Grade: C

Mesa, AZ

Spending: $12,768/person · Grade: A

Chandler, AZ

Spending: $14,811/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Surprise, AZ spends $14,436 per resident, based on total expenditures of $2.1B for a population of 145,591. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (59/100).

Surprise, AZ has total expenditures of $2.1B and total revenue of $502.8M. The city carries $45.0M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Surprise, 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.

Surprise, AZ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (59/100). 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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