Tucson, AZ vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Tucson, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $15,759, a 1068% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tucson, AZ edges San Francisco, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Tucson, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,540 per resident versus $2,031 for San Francisco, CA. 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 San Francisco, CA at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 91.4% more per capita than Tucson ($168,372/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 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $7,961 |
| Other | $952 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $330 | $2,281 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $2,203 |
| Health | $0 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $3,322 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.