Mesa, AZ vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $12,768, a 1806% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 49-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Mesa, AZ at 9% of total revenue, whereas Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Washington spends 94.8% more per capita than Mesa ($230,573/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $463 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $1,376 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,383 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,334 | $4,070 |
| Other | $2,253 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $422 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $192 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $829 | $2,498 |
| Health | $147 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $537 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $953 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,190 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $38 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $2,376 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $3,082 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.