Mesa, AZ vs Peoria, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Peoria, AZ spends 22% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $15,527 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 64/100 (grade C) for Peoria, AZ — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $903 for Peoria, 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 Peoria, AZ at $2,012.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 9% of total revenue in Mesa, AZ and 16% in Peoria, AZ.
Summary
Peoria spends 17.8% more per capita than Mesa ($2,759/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 | $17 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $89 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $898 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $1,658 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $2,823 |
| Other | $2,253 | $1,828 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $598 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1,297 |
| Health | $147 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $2,012 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $3,363 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $289 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $3,475 |
| Other | $3,082 | $4,494 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.