Kansas City, MO vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO spends 45% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $22,820 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tucson, AZ edges Kansas City, MO on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 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 Tucson, AZ at $1,229.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas Tucson, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 44.8% more per capita than Tucson ($7,061/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 | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $623 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $4,534 |
| Other | $11,150 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $119 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $1,181 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $3,091 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| Other | $8,721 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.