Arlington, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ spends 34% more per resident than Arlington, TX: $15,793 against $11,769. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Arlington, TX at $1,352 per resident and in Phoenix, AZ at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Phoenix spends 25.5% more per capita than Arlington ($4,024/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $507 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $2,998 |
| Other | $3,897 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $160 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $507 |
| Health | $219 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $652 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $388 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,760 |
| Other | $4,404 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.