Mesa, AZ vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX and Mesa, AZ spend within 12.8% of each other per resident — $14,400 versus $12,768 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Mesa, AZ edges Houston, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $863 for Houston, 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 Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Houston spends 11.3% more per capita than Mesa ($1,632/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 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $3,475 |
| Other | $2,253 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $175 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $533 |
| Health | $147 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $361 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $386 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $1,339 |
| Other | $3,082 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.