Phoenix, AZ vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 50% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $23,675 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Phoenix, AZ edges Portland, OR on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Phoenix, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,156 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. 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 Portland, OR at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 33.3% more per capita than Phoenix ($7,882/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 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $3,883 |
| Other | $2,038 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $139 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $3,607 |
| Health | $258 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $630 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $1,845 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.