Portland, OR vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $12,768, a 85% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 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 Portland, OR at $2,477 per resident and in Mesa, AZ at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Portland, OR at 19% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Portland spends 85.4% more per capita than Mesa ($10,907/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 | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $3,334 |
| Other | $7,916 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $953 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $38 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $2,376 |
| Other | $6,689 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.