Fresno, CA vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $12,768, a 240% 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 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA 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: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Fresno spends 239.8% more per capita than Mesa ($30,619/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 | $337 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $3,334 |
| Other | $2,070 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $829 |
| Health | $599 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $953 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $38 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $0 |
| Other | $14,545 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.