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

Tempe, AZ vs Peoria, AZ

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Tempe, AZ spends 46% more per resident than Peoria, AZ: $22,717 against $15,527. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Tempe, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 64/100 (grade C) for Peoria, AZ — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Tempe, AZ carries the lighter load at $477 per resident versus $903 for Peoria, 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 Peoria, AZ at $2,012.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Tempe, AZ at 7% of total revenue, whereas Peoria, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 16%.

Summary

Tempe spends 46.3% more per capita than Peoria ($7,190/person difference). Tempe, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).

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
Peoria, AZ
Pop. 191,292
C
64/100
Budget Balance50
Debt Burden42
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency88
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tempe
Peoria
Total Spending
$4.1B
$3.0B
Spending / Capita
$22,717
$15,527
Total Revenue
$10.2B
$3.4B
Revenue / Capita
$56,620
$17,715
Total Debt
$86.4M
$172.8M
Debt / Capita
$477
$903
Population
181,005
191,292
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Tempe$425
Peoria$598
Highways & Roads
Tempe$603
Peoria$0
Parks & Recreation
Tempe$996
Peoria$2,012
Health
Tempe$189
Peoria$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TempePeoria
Property Tax
$3
$17
Sales Tax
$353
$89
Income Tax
$1,152
$898
Intergovernmental
$3,872
$1,658
Charges & Fees
$2,554
$2,823
Other
$3,054
$1,828

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TempePeoria
Fire Protection
$425
$598
Highways & Roads
$603
$0
Public Welfare
$985
$1,297
Health
$189
$0
Hospitals
$865
$0
Parks & Recreation
$996
$2,012
Housing
$6,386
$3,363
Sewerage
$577
$289
Utilities
$2,702
$3,475
Interest on Debt
$2,731
$0
Other
$6,258
$4,494
A
Tempe, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 81/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Peoria, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 64/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.