Tucson, AZ vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $15,759, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tucson, AZ edges Miami, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 100% in Miami, FL.
Summary
Miami spends 44.1% more per capita than Tucson ($12,436/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $0 |
| Other | $952 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $7,399 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $109 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $699 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $1,295 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.