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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Tempe, AZ vs Mesa, AZ

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Tempe spends 77.9% more per capita than Mesa ($9,949/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tempe, AZ
Pop. 181,005
A
81/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden93
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency45
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Mesa, AZ
Pop. 503,390
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tempe
Mesa
Total Spending
$4.1B
$6.4B
Spending / Capita
$22,717
$12,768
Total Revenue
$10.2B
$18.0B
Revenue / Capita
$56,620
$35,688
Total Debt
$86.4M
$236.3M
Debt / Capita
$477
$469
Population
181,005
503,390
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Tempe$425
Mesa$422
Highways & Roads
Tempe$603
Mesa$192
Parks & Recreation
Tempe$996
Mesa$953
Health
Tempe$189
Mesa$147

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TempeMesa
Property Tax
$3
$47
Sales Tax
$353
$463
Income Tax
$1,152
$1,376
Intergovernmental
$3,872
$1,383
Charges & Fees
$2,554
$3,334
Other
$3,054
$2,253

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TempeMesa
Fire Protection
$425
$422
Highways & Roads
$603
$192
Public Welfare
$985
$829
Health
$189
$147
Hospitals
$865
$537
Parks & Recreation
$996
$953
Housing
$6,386
$4,190
Sewerage
$577
$38
Utilities
$2,702
$2,376
Interest on Debt
$2,731
$0
Other
$6,258
$3,082
A
Tempe, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 81/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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