Sacramento, CA vs Tucson, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $71,020 versus $15,759, a 351% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sacramento, CA edges Tucson, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Sacramento, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402 per resident, while Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Sacramento, CA at 8% of total revenue, whereas Tucson, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Sacramento spends 350.7% more per capita than Tucson ($55,261/person difference). Sacramento, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,465 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $378 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $3,104 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,400 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,239 | $4,534 |
| Other | $5,072 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,402 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,466 | $330 |
| Education | $2,684 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,470 | $1,181 |
| Health | $18 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,437 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $8,577 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $103 | $0 |
| Utilities | $19,920 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $162 | $1,735 |
| Other | $26,782 | $3,322 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.