Mesa, AZ vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $22,111 versus $12,768, a 73% 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 65/100 (grade B) for Memphis, TN — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $469 for Mesa, AZ. 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Memphis, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Memphis spends 42.3% more per capita than Mesa ($9,343/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $2,077 |
| Other | $2,253 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $630 |
| Health | $147 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $3,082 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.