Tucson, AZ vs Tempe, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tempe, AZ spends 44% more per resident than Tucson, AZ: $22,717 against $15,759. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Tempe, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 55/100 (grade C) for Tucson, AZ — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Tempe, AZ carries the lighter load at $477 per resident versus $1,540 for Tucson, AZ. 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 Tempe, AZ at $996.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 7% in Tempe, AZ.
Summary
Tempe spends 30.6% more per capita than Tucson ($6,958/person difference). Tempe, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $3 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $353 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $1,152 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $3,872 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $2,554 |
| Other | $952 | $3,054 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $425 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $603 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $985 |
| Health | $0 | $189 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $865 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $996 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $6,386 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $577 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $2,702 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $2,731 |
| Other | $3,322 | $6,258 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.