Dallas, TX vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $12,768, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 33-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Dallas spends 172.9% more per capita than Mesa ($22,081/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 | $9 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,334 |
| Other | $584 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $192 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $953 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $38 |
| Utilities | $833 | $2,376 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.