Tulsa, OK vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Mesa, AZ outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $12,768 versus $5,250, a 143% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Mesa, AZ carries $469 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
Summary
Mesa spends 58.9% more per capita than Tulsa ($7,518/person difference). Mesa, AZ 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 | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,334 |
| Other | $53 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $829 |
| Health | $762 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $953 |
| Housing | $350 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $38 |
| Utilities | $41 | $2,376 |
| Other | $2,748 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.