Mesa, AZ vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $12,768, a 163% 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 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 39-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. 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 Denver, CO at $3,319.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Denver spends 62.0% more per capita than Mesa ($20,814/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 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $5,207 |
| Other | $2,253 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $422 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $764 |
| Health | $147 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $293 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $3,082 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.