San Diego, CA vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $12,768, a 239% 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 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
San Diego spends 239.2% more per capita than Mesa ($30,538/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 | $124 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $3,334 |
| Other | $3,801 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $192 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $829 |
| Health | $411 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $953 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $38 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,376 |
| Other | $17,509 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.