Tulsa, OK vs Tucson, AZ
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: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229.
Summary
Tucson spends 66.7% 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 | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $309 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,107 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $23,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $4,534 |
| Other | $53 | $952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $330 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $1,181 |
| Health | $762 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,314 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $1,229 |
| Housing | $350 | $3,091 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $0 |
| Utilities | $41 | $3,555 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| Other | $2,748 | $3,322 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.