Tucson, AZ vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $15,759, a 719% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $1,540 for Tucson, AZ. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 87.8% more per capita than Tucson ($113,360/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $1,835 |
| Other | $952 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $330 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $1,116 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $868 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $315 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $3,322 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.