Tempe, AZ vs Glendale, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tempe, AZ spends 24% more per resident than Glendale, AZ: $22,717 against $18,356. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tempe, AZ edges Glendale, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 81/100 (grade A) to 80/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Glendale, AZ carries the lighter load at $227 per resident versus $477 for Tempe, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Tempe, AZ at $996 per resident and in Glendale, AZ at $1,295.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Tempe, AZ at 7% of total revenue, whereas Glendale, AZ relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Tempe spends 23.8% more per capita than Glendale ($4,361/person difference). Tempe, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $3 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $353 | $269 |
| Income Tax | $1,152 | $520 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,872 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,554 | $2,381 |
| Other | $3,054 | $2,772 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $425 | $377 |
| Highways & Roads | $603 | $280 |
| Education | $0 | $13 |
| Public Welfare | $985 | $1,522 |
| Health | $189 | $266 |
| Hospitals | $865 | $1,555 |
| Parks & Recreation | $996 | $1,295 |
| Housing | $6,386 | $5,079 |
| Sewerage | $577 | $193 |
| Utilities | $2,702 | $3,088 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,731 | $980 |
| Other | $6,258 | $3,709 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.