Las Vegas, NV vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Mesa, AZ spends 41% more per resident than Las Vegas, NV: $12,768 against $9,085. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 82/100 (grade A) for Las Vegas, NV — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Mesa spends 28.8% more per capita than Las Vegas ($3,683/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 | $50 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,334 |
| Other | $2,806 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $953 |
| Housing | $23 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $38 |
| Utilities | $129 | $2,376 |
| Other | $5,243 | $3,082 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.