New York, NY vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $15,759, a 719% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $1,540 for Tucson, AZ. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 100% in Tucson, AZ.
Summary
New York spends 719.3% more per capita than Tucson ($113,360/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $4,534 |
| Other | $3,593 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $330 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $0 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $1,181 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $0 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $1,735 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.