Mesa, AZ vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albuquerque, NM spends 35% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $17,237 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 81/100 (grade A) for Albuquerque, NM — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Mesa, AZ at $953 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 9% of total revenue in Mesa, AZ and 11% in Albuquerque, NM.
Summary
Albuquerque spends 25.9% more per capita than Mesa ($4,469/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 | $47 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $2,633 |
| Other | $2,253 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $172 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $419 |
| Health | $147 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $4,080 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,096 |
| Other | $3,082 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.