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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Phoenix, AZ vs Mesa, AZ

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

Summary

Phoenix spends 23.7% more per capita than Mesa ($3,025/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

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
Mesa, AZ
Pop. 503,390
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Phoenix
Mesa
Total Spending
$25.4B
$6.4B
Spending / Capita
$15,793
$12,768
Total Revenue
$81.6B
$18.0B
Revenue / Capita
$50,709
$35,688
Total Debt
$1.9B
$236.3M
Debt / Capita
$1,156
$469
Population
1,609,456
503,390
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Phoenix$170
Mesa$422
Highways & Roads
Phoenix$86
Mesa$192
Parks & Recreation
Phoenix$652
Mesa$953
Education
Phoenix$214
Mesa$0
Health
Phoenix$258
Mesa$147

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixMesa
Property Tax
$7
$47
Sales Tax
$338
$463
Income Tax
$1,260
$1,376
Intergovernmental
$50,709
$1,383
Charges & Fees
$2,998
$3,334
Other
$2,038
$2,253

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixMesa
Fire Protection
$170
$422
Highways & Roads
$86
$192
Education
$214
$0
Public Welfare
$507
$829
Health
$258
$147
Hospitals
$1,521
$537
Parks & Recreation
$652
$953
Housing
$3,879
$4,190
Sewerage
$388
$38
Utilities
$2,480
$2,376
Interest on Debt
$1,760
$0
Other
$3,878
$3,082
B
Phoenix, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 67/100
Good fiscal health
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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