Valley Cities Affordability and Homeowner's Comparisons

The City of Mesa continues to provide quality services to residents and businesses using less resources than neighboring communities.

While Mesa is the third highest for General Fund spending due to size, Mesa is the fifth lowest in General Fund spending per capita. Mesa’s local sales tax revenue per capita is the third lowest among the comparison cities. Over the past several years, we have been at or near the bottom compared to sales tax activity in other Valley cities. We also do not have a primary property tax. So, the combination of the sales tax revenue per capita and the primary property tax revenue per capita places us further below other cities. Residents of Mesa contribute less per capita to the general operations than comparable cities, while experiencing high-quality services. We are dedicated to sustaining Mesa as a great place to live, work, and play.

Typical Homeowner's Cost Comparison

One key analytical tool used by City Council and city staff is a comparison of the typical costs incurred by homeowners in several comparable cities. The typical charges for the current fiscal year for various cities are compared with the costs for the current fiscal year in Mesa. While some neighboring municipalities have a different resource mix than Mesa, bringing them all together allows for comparison to ensure that Mesa remains an affordable place to live, work and play.

The Typical Homeowner’s Annual Cost Comparison Notes:

• Mesa and Gilbert are the only municipalities that do not have a primary property tax. All other revenue sources exist in all municipalities.
• Estimated city sales taxes paid is based on average household expenditures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey applied to each city’s sales tax rate. Some cities have different rates for different taxable items. Mesa and Phoenix do not collect sales tax on the sale of food for consumption at home.
• Comparisons are determined using a standard service level for all cities.
• Standard solid waste charges are for twice per week garbage (recyclables where applicable) collection using 90-gallon barrels. Solid Waste residential charges include a Green and Clean fee for Mesa.
• Other city’s environmental fees are included as applicable.
• Charges are based on Calendar Year 2022 monthly residential water consumption rates taken over total number of households in Mesa and rounded to the nearest thousand.
• Wastewater charges are based on the average consumption of water during the winter months.