Phoenix, AZ vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 40% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $22,111 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Memphis spends 28.6% more per capita than Phoenix ($6,318/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $2,077 |
| Other | $2,038 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $277 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $630 |
| Health | $258 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $1,158 |
| Other | $3,878 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.