Mesa, AZ vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $12,768, a 99% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ edges Atlanta, GA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 85/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. 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 Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Atlanta, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 6%.
Summary
Atlanta spends 49.8% more per capita than Mesa ($12,689/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 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $5,645 |
| Other | $2,253 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $422 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1,587 |
| Health | $147 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $343 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $8,026 |
| Other | $3,082 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.