Phoenix, AZ vs Minneapolis, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Minneapolis, MN spends 39% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $21,910 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ edges Minneapolis, MN 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, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Phoenix, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Minneapolis, MN relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Minneapolis spends 27.9% more per capita than Phoenix ($6,117/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $1,989 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $994 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $2,929 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $2,040 |
| Other | $2,038 | $3,254 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $683 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $221 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $1,500 |
| Health | $258 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $3,486 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $4,133 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $570 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $2,398 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $8,919 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.