Long Beach, CA vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $15,759, a 117% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA at $698 per resident and in Tucson, AZ at $1,229.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Tucson, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 117.3% more per capita than Tucson ($18,491/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $4,534 |
| Other | $8,836 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $1,181 |
| Health | $477 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $1,735 |
| Other | $16,533 | $3,322 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.