Mesa, AZ vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $12,768, a 171% 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 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 63.0% more per capita than Mesa ($21,783/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 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $2,847 |
| Other | $2,253 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1,858 |
| Health | $147 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $129 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $2,983 |
| Other | $3,082 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.