Long Beach, CA vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $12,768, a 168% 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 67/100 (grade B) for Long Beach, CA — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA at $698 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 168.2% more per capita than Mesa ($21,482/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 | $36 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $3,334 |
| Other | $8,836 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $829 |
| Health | $477 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $953 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $38 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $0 |
| Other | $16,533 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.