Albuquerque, NM vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albuquerque, NM spends 35% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $17,237 against $12,768. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 81/100 (grade A) for Albuquerque, NM — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 11% of total revenue in Albuquerque, NM and 9% in Mesa, AZ.
Summary
Albuquerque spends 35.0% more per capita than Mesa ($4,469/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $3,334 |
| Other | $2,174 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $440 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $829 |
| Health | $291 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $953 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $38 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $0 |
| Other | $3,209 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.