Mesa, AZ vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY spends 58% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $20,200 against $12,768. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 55-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953 per resident, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) spends 36.8% more per capita than Mesa ($7,432/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $3,823 |
| Other | $2,253 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $422 | $1,132 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1,849 |
| Health | $147 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $249 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,517 |
| Other | $3,082 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.