Peoria, AZ vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Peoria, AZ spends 22% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $15,527 against $12,768. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for Peoria, AZ — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $903 for Peoria, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Peoria, AZ at $2,012 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 16% of total revenue in Peoria, AZ and 9% in Mesa, AZ.
Summary
Peoria spends 21.6% more per capita than Mesa ($2,759/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 | $17 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $89 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $898 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,658 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,823 | $3,334 |
| Other | $1,828 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $598 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $1,297 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,012 | $953 |
| Housing | $3,363 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $289 | $38 |
| Utilities | $3,475 | $2,376 |
| Other | $4,494 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.