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

Mesa, AZ vs San Jose, CA

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

Summary

San Jose spends 28.8% more per capita than Mesa ($5,166/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

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
San Jose, CA
Pop. 1,001,176
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency98
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Mesa
San Jose
Total Spending
$6.4B
$18.0B
Spending / Capita
$12,768
$17,934
Total Revenue
$18.0B
$38.1B
Revenue / Capita
$35,688
$38,091
Total Debt
$236.3M
$0
Debt / Capita
$469
$0
Population
503,390
1,001,176
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Mesa$422
San Jose$0
Highways & Roads
Mesa$192
San Jose$0
Parks & Recreation
Mesa$953
San Jose$1,424
Health
Mesa$147
San Jose$609

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

MesaSan Jose
Property Tax
$47
$40
Sales Tax
$463
$315
Income Tax
$1,376
$1,935
Intergovernmental
$1,383
$2,680
Charges & Fees
$3,334
$608
Other
$2,253
$3,519

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

MesaSan Jose
Fire Protection
$422
$0
Highways & Roads
$192
$0
Public Welfare
$829
$810
Health
$147
$609
Hospitals
$537
$1,254
Parks & Recreation
$953
$1,424
Housing
$4,190
$4,897
Sewerage
$38
$161
Utilities
$2,376
$2,533
Other
$3,082
$6,247
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
San Jose, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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