Portland, OR vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR spends 50% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $23,675 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Tucson, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,540 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 Tucson, AZ at $1,229.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 100% in Tucson, AZ.
Summary
Portland spends 50.2% more per capita than Tucson ($7,916/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $1,695 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $4,534 |
| Other | $7,916 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $330 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $1,181 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| Other | $6,689 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.