Glendale, AZ vs Surprise, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Glendale, AZ spends 27% more per resident than Surprise, AZ: $18,356 against $14,436. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Glendale, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 59/100 (grade C) for Surprise, AZ — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Glendale, AZ carries the lighter load at $227 per resident versus $309 for Surprise, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Glendale, AZ at $1,295 per resident and in Surprise, AZ at $2,032.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Glendale, AZ at 7% of total revenue, whereas Surprise, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Glendale spends 27.2% more per capita than Surprise ($3,920/person difference). Glendale, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $269 | $100 |
| Income Tax | $520 | $673 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $3,454 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,381 | $1,036 |
| Other | $2,772 | $2,972 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $377 | $870 |
| Highways & Roads | $280 | $0 |
| Education | $13 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,522 | $2,361 |
| Health | $266 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,555 | $1,200 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,295 | $2,032 |
| Housing | $5,079 | $2,769 |
| Sewerage | $193 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,088 | $1,764 |
| Interest on Debt | $980 | $38 |
| Other | $3,709 | $3,403 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.