Washington, DC vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $12,768, a 1806% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 49-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Washington, DC at 7% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Washington spends 1805.9% more per capita than Mesa ($230,573/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 | $25 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $3,334 |
| Other | $11,518 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $192 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $829 |
| Health | $1,009 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $953 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $38 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.