New York, NY vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $12,768, a 911% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $469 for Mesa, AZ. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 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 New York, NY at 14% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
New York spends 911.3% more per capita than Mesa ($116,351/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 | $5 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $3,334 |
| Other | $3,593 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $192 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $829 |
| Health | $417 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $953 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $38 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.