Mesa, AZ vs Scottsdale, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Mesa, AZ outspends Scottsdale, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $12,768 versus $21, a 59442% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Mesa, AZ and Scottsdale, AZ both land at 90/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Scottsdale, AZ carries the lighter load at $2 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 Scottsdale, AZ at $2.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 9% of total revenue in Mesa, AZ and 13% in Scottsdale, AZ.
Summary
Mesa spends 59442.3% more per capita than Scottsdale ($12,747/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $47 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $1 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $4 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $5 |
| Other | $2,253 | $4 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $1 |
| Health | $147 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $2 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $5 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $4 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $0 |
| Other | $3,082 | $8 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.