Phoenix, AZ vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX spends 38% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $21,772 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Phoenix, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,156 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. 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 Austin, TX at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Austin, TX.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.