Sacramento, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $71,020 versus $15,793, a 350% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Phoenix, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Sacramento, CA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sacramento, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Phoenix, AZ carries $1,156 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402 per resident, while Phoenix, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $652.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Sacramento, CA at 8% of total revenue, whereas Phoenix, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Sacramento spends 349.7% more per capita than Phoenix ($55,227/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 | $1,465 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $378 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $3,104 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,400 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,239 | $2,998 |
| Other | $5,072 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,402 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,466 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $2,684 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $3,470 | $507 |
| Health | $18 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,437 | $652 |
| Housing | $8,577 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $103 | $388 |
| Utilities | $19,920 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $162 | $1,760 |
| Other | $26,782 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.