Fort Worth, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Worth, TX and Phoenix, AZ spend within 0.9% of each other per resident — $15,939 versus $15,793 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Phoenix, AZ edges Fort Worth, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Phoenix, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,156 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fort Worth, TX at $708 per resident and in Phoenix, AZ at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Fort Worth spends 0.9% more per capita than Phoenix ($146/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $198 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,998 |
| Other | $3,439 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $507 |
| Health | $235 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $652 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $388 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,760 |
| Other | $4,817 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.