Phoenix, AZ vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $15,793 versus $9,085, a 74% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 per resident. 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Phoenix, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Phoenix spends 73.8% more per capita than Las Vegas ($6,708/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $0 |
| Other | $2,038 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $170 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $45 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $705 |
| Health | $258 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $332 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $5,243 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.