Austin, TX vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX spends 38% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $21,772 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Austin, TX carries the lighter load at $1,229 per resident versus $1,540 for Tucson, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Austin, TX at $1,801 per resident and in Tucson, AZ at $1,229.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in Austin, TX and 100% in Tucson, AZ.
Summary
Austin spends 38.2% more per capita than Tucson ($6,013/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $4,534 |
| Other | $5,645 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $634 | $330 |
| Education | $51 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $1,181 |
| Health | $517 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| Other | $8,399 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.