Mesa, AZ vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $21,772 versus $12,768, a 71% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Austin, TX — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. 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 Austin, TX at $1,801.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
Austin spends 41.4% more per capita than Mesa ($9,004/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $3,247 |
| Other | $2,253 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1,837 |
| Health | $147 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $865 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $3,264 |
| Other | $3,082 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.