Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Phoenix, AZ vs Austin, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Austin spends 27.5% more per capita than Phoenix ($5,979/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Phoenix, AZ
Pop. 1,609,456
B
67/100
Budget Balance93
Debt Burden45
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Austin, TX
Pop. 958,202
B
75/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden38
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Phoenix
Austin
Total Spending
$25.4B
$20.9B
Spending / Capita
$15,793
$21,772
Total Revenue
$81.6B
$74.4B
Revenue / Capita
$50,709
$77,600
Total Debt
$1.9B
$1.2B
Debt / Capita
$1,156
$1,229
Population
1,609,456
958,202
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Phoenix$170
Austin$634
Highways & Roads
Phoenix$86
Austin$0
Parks & Recreation
Phoenix$652
Austin$1,801
Education
Phoenix$214
Austin$51
Health
Phoenix$258
Austin$517

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixAustin
Property Tax
$7
$0
Sales Tax
$338
$526
Income Tax
$1,260
$1,465
Intergovernmental
$50,709
$14,031
Charges & Fees
$2,998
$3,247
Other
$2,038
$5,645

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixAustin
Fire Protection
$170
$634
Highways & Roads
$86
$0
Education
$214
$51
Public Welfare
$507
$1,837
Health
$258
$517
Hospitals
$1,521
$664
Parks & Recreation
$652
$1,801
Housing
$3,879
$3,741
Sewerage
$388
$865
Utilities
$2,480
$3,264
Interest on Debt
$1,760
$0
Other
$3,878
$8,399
B
Phoenix, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 67/100
Good fiscal health
B
Austin, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 75/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities