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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Tucson, AZ

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spends 28% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $20,200 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Tucson, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Tucson, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,540 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 Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229.

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 Tucson, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.

Summary

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 28.2% more per capita than Tucson ($4,441/person difference). Tucson, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).

Fiscal Health Score

Budget Balance8
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Tucson, AZ
Pop. 541,033
C
55/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden10
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Tucson
Total Spending
$12.7B
$8.5B
Spending / Capita
$20,200
$15,759
Total Revenue
$5.4B
$12.6B
Revenue / Capita
$8,618
$23,276
Total Debt
$2.2B
$833.1M
Debt / Capita
$3,553
$1,540
Population
629,176
541,033
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$701
Tucson$0
Fire Protection
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,132
Tucson$330
Parks & Recreation
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$1,070
Tucson$1,229
Education
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$956
Tucson$0
Health
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)$379
Tucson$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)Tucson
Property Tax
$0
$5
Sales Tax
$1,138
$309
Income Tax
$24
$1,107
Intergovernmental
$412
$23,276
Charges & Fees
$3,823
$4,534
Other
$8,878
$952

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)Tucson
Police
$701
$0
Fire Protection
$1,132
$330
Education
$956
$0
Public Welfare
$1,849
$1,181
Health
$379
$0
Hospitals
$779
$1,314
Parks & Recreation
$1,070
$1,229
Housing
$2,382
$3,091
Sewerage
$249
$0
Utilities
$3,844
$3,555
Interest on Debt
$1,517
$1,735
Other
$5,344
$3,322
D
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Fiscal Health Score: 35/100
Below average fiscal health
C
Tucson, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.