Long Beach, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $15,793, a 117% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Long Beach, CA and Phoenix, AZ both land at 67/100 (grade B and B respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 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 Phoenix, AZ at $652.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Phoenix, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 116.9% more per capita than Phoenix ($18,457/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,998 |
| Other | $8,836 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $507 |
| Health | $477 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $652 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $388 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $1,760 |
| Other | $16,533 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.