Phoenix, AZ vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Phoenix, AZ spends 24% more per resident than Mesa, AZ: $15,793 against $12,768. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 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 Mesa, AZ at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Phoenix, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.