Tucson, AZ vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA and Tucson, AZ spend within 13.8% of each other per resident — $17,934 versus $15,759 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. 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 Jose, CA at $1,424.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Tucson, AZ at 100% of total revenue, whereas San Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
San Jose spends 12.1% more per capita than Tucson ($2,175/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $608 |
| Other | $952 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $810 |
| Health | $0 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $161 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.