Mesa, AZ vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $12,768, a 170% 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 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. 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 Seattle, WA at $3,923.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Seattle, WA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 13%.
Summary
Seattle spends 63.0% more per capita than Mesa ($21,694/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 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $3,960 |
| Other | $2,253 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $422 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $3,439 |
| Health | $147 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $6,489 |
| Other | $3,082 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.