Tucson, AZ vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX spends 38% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $21,772 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Austin, TX carries the lighter load at $1,229 per resident versus $1,540 for Tucson, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Tucson, AZ at $1,229 per resident and in Austin, TX at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Austin spends 27.6% more per capita than Tucson ($6,013/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $3,247 |
| Other | $952 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $634 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $1,837 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $865 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.