Tucson, AZ vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbus, OH spends 20% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $18,858 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tucson, AZ edges Columbus, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 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 Columbus, OH at $2,168.
Summary
Columbus spends 16.4% more per capita than Tucson ($3,099/person difference). Tucson, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $2,389 |
| Other | $952 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $878 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $7,595 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.