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

Tucson, AZ vs Surprise, AZ

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

Summary

Tucson spends 9.2% more per capita than Surprise ($1,323/person difference). Surprise, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).

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
Surprise, AZ
Pop. 145,591
C
59/100
Budget Balance18
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency94
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Tucson
Surprise
Total Spending
$8.5B
$2.1B
Spending / Capita
$15,759
$14,436
Total Revenue
$12.6B
$502.8M
Revenue / Capita
$23,276
$3,454
Total Debt
$833.1M
$45.0M
Debt / Capita
$1,540
$309
Population
541,033
145,591
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Tucson$330
Surprise$870
Parks & Recreation
Tucson$1,229
Surprise$2,032

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonSurprise
Property Tax
$5
$0
Sales Tax
$309
$100
Income Tax
$1,107
$673
Intergovernmental
$23,276
$3,454
Charges & Fees
$4,534
$1,036
Other
$952
$2,972

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

TucsonSurprise
Fire Protection
$330
$870
Public Welfare
$1,181
$2,361
Hospitals
$1,314
$1,200
Parks & Recreation
$1,229
$2,032
Housing
$3,091
$2,769
Utilities
$3,555
$1,764
Interest on Debt
$1,735
$38
Other
$3,322
$3,403
C
Tucson, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health
C
Surprise, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 59/100
Average fiscal health

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