Tucson, AZ vs Tulsa, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tucson, AZ outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $15,759 versus $5,250, a 200% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tulsa, OK edges Tucson, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Tucson, AZ carries $1,540 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762.
Summary
Tucson spends 200.2% more per capita than Tulsa ($10,509/person difference). Tulsa, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $97 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $0 |
| Other | $952 | $53 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $628 |
| Fire Protection | $330 | $196 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $257 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $86 |
| Health | $0 | $762 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $154 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $350 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $27 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $41 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $0 |
| Other | $3,322 | $2,748 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.