Surprise, AZ vs Glendale, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Glendale, AZ spends 27% more per resident than Surprise, AZ: $18,356 against $14,436. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Glendale, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 59/100 (grade C) for Surprise, AZ — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Glendale, AZ carries the lighter load at $227 per resident versus $309 for Surprise, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Surprise, AZ at $2,032 per resident and in Glendale, AZ at $1,295.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Surprise, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas Glendale, AZ relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Glendale spends 21.4% more per capita than Surprise ($3,920/person difference). Glendale, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $100 | $269 |
| Income Tax | $673 | $520 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,454 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,036 | $2,381 |
| Other | $2,972 | $2,772 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $870 | $377 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $280 |
| Education | $0 | $13 |
| Public Welfare | $2,361 | $1,522 |
| Health | $0 | $266 |
| Hospitals | $1,200 | $1,555 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,032 | $1,295 |
| Housing | $2,769 | $5,079 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $193 |
| Utilities | $1,764 | $3,088 |
| Interest on Debt | $38 | $980 |
| Other | $3,403 | $3,709 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.