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

Tucson, AZ vs Mesa, AZ

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

Summary

Tucson spends 23.4% more per capita than Mesa ($2,991/person difference). Mesa, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Tucson, AZ
Pop. 541,033
C
55/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden10
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
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
Tucson
Mesa
Total Spending
$8.5B
$6.4B
Spending / Capita
$15,759
$12,768
Total Revenue
$12.6B
$18.0B
Revenue / Capita
$23,276
$35,688
Total Debt
$833.1M
$236.3M
Debt / Capita
$1,540
$469
Population
541,033
503,390
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Tucson$330
Mesa$422
Highways & Roads
Tucson$0
Mesa$192
Parks & Recreation
Tucson$1,229
Mesa$953
Health
Tucson$0
Mesa$147

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonMesa
Property Tax
$5
$47
Sales Tax
$309
$463
Income Tax
$1,107
$1,376
Intergovernmental
$23,276
$1,383
Charges & Fees
$4,534
$3,334
Other
$952
$2,253

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonMesa
Fire Protection
$330
$422
Highways & Roads
$0
$192
Public Welfare
$1,181
$829
Health
$0
$147
Hospitals
$1,314
$537
Parks & Recreation
$1,229
$953
Housing
$3,091
$4,190
Sewerage
$0
$38
Utilities
$3,555
$2,376
Interest on Debt
$1,735
$0
Other
$3,322
$3,082
C
Tucson, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health
A
Mesa, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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