Kansas City, MO vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $12,768, a 79% 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 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Kansas City, MO at $1,309 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 78.7% more per capita than Mesa ($10,052/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 | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $623 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $3,334 |
| Other | $11,150 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $119 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $953 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $38 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $2,376 |
| Other | $8,721 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.