Mesa, AZ vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $12,768, a 121% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Miami, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Miami spends 54.7% more per capita than Mesa ($15,427/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 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $0 |
| Other | $2,253 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $7,399 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $109 |
| Health | $147 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $699 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $1,295 |
| Other | $3,082 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.