Jacksonville, FL vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $15,759, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tucson, AZ edges Jacksonville, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Tucson, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,540 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 100% in Tucson, AZ.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 99.6% more per capita than Tucson ($15,697/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 | $233 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $4,534 |
| Other | $4,705 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $1,181 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $1,735 |
| Other | $9,771 | $3,322 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.