Phoenix, AZ vs Tempe, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tempe, AZ spends 44% more per resident than Phoenix, AZ: $22,717 against $15,793. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tempe, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Phoenix, AZ — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Tempe, AZ carries the lighter load at $477 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 Tempe, AZ at $996.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 7% in Tempe, AZ.
Summary
Tempe spends 30.5% more per capita than Phoenix ($6,924/person difference). Tempe, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $3 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $353 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $1,152 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $3,872 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $2,554 |
| Other | $2,038 | $3,054 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $425 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $603 |
| Education | $214 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $985 |
| Health | $258 | $189 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $865 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $996 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $6,386 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $577 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $2,702 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $2,731 |
| Other | $3,878 | $6,258 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.