Phoenix, AZ vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $15,793, a 117% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Phoenix, AZ and Long Beach, CA both land at 67/100 (grade B and B respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA at $698.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Phoenix, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Long Beach, CA relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 53.9% more per capita than Phoenix ($18,457/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $2,424 |
| Other | $2,038 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $0 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $1,317 |
| Health | $258 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $698 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $86 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $2,718 |
| Other | $3,878 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.