Miami, FL vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $12,768, a 121% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Miami, FL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Miami spends 120.8% more per capita than Mesa ($15,427/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 | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,334 |
| Other | $1,399 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $953 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $38 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $2,376 |
| Other | $8,572 | $3,082 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.