Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spends 58% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $20,200 against $12,768. 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 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 55-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at 103% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 58.2% more per capita than Mesa ($7,432/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 | $1,138 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $3,334 |
| Other | $8,878 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Education | $956 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $829 |
| Health | $379 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $953 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $38 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $0 |
| Other | $5,344 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.