Tucson, AZ vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 40% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $22,111 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Memphis spends 28.7% more per capita than Tucson ($6,352/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $2,077 |
| Other | $952 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $630 |
| Health | $0 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $4,683 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $1,158 |
| Other | $3,322 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.