Columbus, OH vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbus, OH spends 20% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $18,858 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tucson, AZ edges Columbus, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 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 Columbus, OH at $2,168 per resident and in Tucson, AZ at $1,229.
Summary
Columbus spends 19.7% more per capita than Tucson ($3,099/person difference). Tucson, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $4,534 |
| Other | $5,248 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $330 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $1,181 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| Other | $7,595 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.