Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spends 28% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $20,200 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 32-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Phoenix, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,156 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 Phoenix, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $652.
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 Phoenix, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 27.9% more per capita than Phoenix ($4,407/person difference). Phoenix, AZ 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 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $2,998 |
| Other | $8,878 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $956 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $507 |
| Health | $379 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $652 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $388 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $1,760 |
| Other | $5,344 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.