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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Mesa, AZ vs Oakland, CA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Oakland spends 57.5% more per capita than Mesa ($17,286/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Mesa, AZ
Pop. 503,390
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Oakland, CA
Pop. 437,825
B
72/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency43
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Mesa
Oakland
Total Spending
$6.4B
$13.2B
Spending / Capita
$12,768
$30,055
Total Revenue
$18.0B
$18.5B
Revenue / Capita
$35,688
$42,277
Total Debt
$236.3M
$0
Debt / Capita
$469
$0
Population
503,390
437,825
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Mesa$422
Oakland$1
Highways & Roads
Mesa$192
Oakland$0
Parks & Recreation
Mesa$953
Oakland$955
Health
Mesa$147
Oakland$1,016

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

MesaOakland
Property Tax
$47
$0
Sales Tax
$463
$522
Income Tax
$1,376
$0
Intergovernmental
$1,383
$42,277
Charges & Fees
$3,334
$0
Other
$2,253
$4,337

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

MesaOakland
Fire Protection
$422
$1
Highways & Roads
$192
$0
Public Welfare
$829
$2,426
Health
$147
$1,016
Hospitals
$537
$2,498
Parks & Recreation
$953
$955
Housing
$4,190
$7,811
Sewerage
$38
$1,417
Utilities
$2,376
$0
Other
$3,082
$13,929
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Oakland, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 72/100
Good fiscal health

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