Memphis, TN vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 40% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $22,111 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in Phoenix, AZ at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Memphis, TN and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Memphis spends 40.0% more per capita than Phoenix ($6,318/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 | $10 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $2,998 |
| Other | $3,994 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $507 |
| Health | $391 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $652 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $388 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $1,760 |
| Other | $8,850 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.