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

Tucson, AZ

Population: 541,033 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
55/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$8.5B
Per Capita
$15,759
Total Revenue
$12.6B
Total Debt
$833.1M

Spending Breakdown

Utilities
22.6%$1.9B
Other
21.1%$1.8B
Housing & Community Development
19.6%$1.7B
Interest on Debt
11.0%$938.9M
Hospitals
8.3%$711.1M
Parks & Recreation
7.8%$665.2M
Public Welfare
7.5%$639.2M
Fire Protection
2.1%$178.7M

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%$2.8M
Sales Tax
1.3%$167.0M
Income Tax
4.8%$598.9M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$12.6B
Charges & Fees
19.5%$2.5B
Other
4.1%$515.1M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$330/person
Parks & Recreation$1,229/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)71/100
Debt Burden (20%)10/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$833.1M
Long-Term Debt$71.3M
Debt Per Capita$1,540
Cash & Securities$116.8M

Compare Cities

See how Tucson stacks up against another city.

vs Phoenix, 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

Phoenix, AZ

Pop. 1.6M

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

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 Tucson With

Phoenix, AZ

Spending: $15,793/person · Grade: B

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

Tucson, AZ spends $15,759 per resident, based on total expenditures of $8.5B for a population of 541,033. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100).

Tucson, AZ has total expenditures of $8.5B and total revenue of $12.6B. The city carries $833.1M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Tucson, 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.

Tucson, AZ has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100). 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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