Phoenix, AZ vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ spends 34% more per resident than Arlington, TX: $15,793 against $11,769. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Phoenix, AZ at $652 per resident and in Arlington, TX at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Phoenix spends 34.2% more per capita than Arlington ($4,024/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $2,949 |
| Other | $2,038 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $149 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $826 |
| Health | $258 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.