ZIP 85205 · Mesa, AZ

Four governments run on your community's money

From the state down to your schools: where each one's money comes from and goes.

Yearly budgets from each government's latest fiscal year on record. Tap one to jump to it.

Your state

State of Arizona

$61.4 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

Federal tax money45%State taxes41%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)6.9%Fines and other6.2%Local tax money0.4%
Full Arizona breakdown

What stands out

22%

of Arizona's money comes from sales tax.A typical state government gets 14%.

State taxes41%

Sales tax
22%$13.2 billion
Individual income tax
7.9%$4.81 billion
Other taxes
6.5%$3.95 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor fuel taxes and 15 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.15 billion
  • Motor fuel taxes$891 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$879 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$311 million
  • Tobacco taxes$259 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$193 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$88.5 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$44.5 million
  • Driver's licenses$35.9 million
  • Corporation licenses$30.1 million
  • Public utility taxes$22.2 million
  • Severance taxes$21.5 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$15.7 million
  • Amusement taxes$5.9 million
  • Other licenses$2.5 million
  • Public utility licenses$39 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$12 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
2.9%$1.78 billion
Property tax
2.2%$1.36 billion

Fees for services6.9%

Fees for services
6.9%$4.20 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; university housing and dining and 11 more
  • College tuition$3.07 billion
  • University housing and dining$573 million
  • Other service charges$330 million
  • Parks and recreation$109 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$66.4 million
  • Electric power$18.8 million
  • Road charges$15.9 million
  • Housing$12.6 million
  • Garbage collection$3.8 million
  • Other education charges$2.5 million
  • Other school charges$2.0 million
  • Airport$634 thousand
  • Hospital bills$61 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money45%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
45%$27.6 billion

Local tax money0.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.4%$250 million

Fines and other6.2%

Interest, rents and other
6.0%$3.65 billion
Fines
0.2%$113 million
Arizona page →

Where the money goes

Social services43%Sent to local governments26%Schools and colleges19%Police, fire, courts and jails4.0%Roads, transit and parking3.4%All other spending5.3%

What stands out

43%

of Arizona's spending goes to social services.A typical state government spends 31%.

Full Arizona breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
43%$26.2 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$26.0 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$118 million
  • Welfare institutions$52.9 million
  • Veterans' services$21.1 million
Sent to local governments
26%$15.9 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: general support and 20 more
  • Sent to school districts$9.00 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$3.90 billion
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$1.32 billion
  • Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$539 million
  • Sent to school districts (colleges)$264 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$148 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$135 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$124 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$103 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$56.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$55.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$55.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: probation, parole and other corrections$47.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$42.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$32.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$32.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$22.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: sewer systems$15.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$7.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$3.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$480 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$86 thousand
Schools and colleges
19%$11.5 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$6.41 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$4.17 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$859 million
  • Other education$75.4 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$3 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.0%$2.43 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$1.58 billion
  • Police$431 million
  • Courts and legal services$217 million
  • Inspections and regulation$170 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$30.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.4%$2.10 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$2.09 billion
  • Airports$8.6 million
Running the government and other costs
2.0%$1.24 billion
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 3 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$422 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$402 million
  • Other and not broken out$315 million
  • Other government administration$75.7 million
  • Government buildings$25.1 million
Health and hospitals
1.4%$884 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$883 million
  • Hospitals$281 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.8%$468 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$468 million
Interest on debt
0.5%$293 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on electric power debt
  • Interest on general debt$292 million
  • Interest on electric power debt$1.1 million
Housing and community development
0.3%$189 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.3%$183 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$176 million
  • Libraries$6.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$23.7 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power; garbage and solid waste and 2 more
  • Electric power$17.6 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$2.8 million
  • Water supply$1.7 million
  • Sewer systems$1.7 million
Arizona page →

Your county

Maricopa County

$3.38 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State tax money42%County taxes33%Federal tax money11%Fines and other6.4%Local tax money3.9%Fees for services (parks and recreation, garbage collection)3.3%

What stands out

42%

of Maricopa County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 19%.

Full Maricopa County breakdown

County taxes33%

Property tax
23%$770 million
Sales tax
8.5%$287 million
Other taxes
1.7%$57.4 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses; public utility licenses and 2 more
  • Other licenses$55.9 million
  • Public utility licenses$973 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$552 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$12 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.3%

Fees for services
3.3%$111 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 3 more
  • Other service charges$95.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$11.8 million
  • Garbage collection$3.0 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$15 thousand
  • Other school charges$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money11%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
11%$368 million

State tax money42%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
42%$1.43 billion

Local tax money3.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.9%$133 million

Fines and other6.4%

Interest, rents and other
5.1%$173 million
Fines
1.3%$44.7 million
Maricopa County page →

Where the money goes

Police, fire, courts and jails40%Running the government and other costs27%Sent to other local governments11%Health and hospitals6.6%Roads, transit and parking6.2%All other spending8.6%

What stands out

11%

of Maricopa County's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Full Maricopa County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
40%$1.37 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Courts and legal services$532 million
  • Prisons and jails$389 million
  • Police$228 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$214 million
  • Inspections and regulation$4.3 million
Running the government and other costs
27%$908 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$717 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$76.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$66.5 million
  • Government buildings$48.3 million
Sent to other local governments
11%$378 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government and sent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to the state government$338 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$40.3 million
Health and hospitals
6.6%$224 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$224 million
Roads, transit and parking
6.2%$211 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$211 million
Environment and natural resources
4.3%$147 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$147 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.3%$77.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$40.6 million
  • Parks and recreation$36.4 million
Schools and colleges
0.6%$21.4 million
What's in schools and collegesScholarships and other education subsidies and elementary and secondary schools
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$18.5 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$3.0 million
Housing and community development
0.6%$18.7 million
Social services
0.4%$13.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$13.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.3%$8.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$8.9 million
Interest on debt
0.1%$4.1 million
Maricopa County page →

Your city

City of Mesa

$1.31 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

About 83% of this ZIP is in Mesa.

Where the money comes from

Fees for services (water, sewer)49%City taxes37%State tax money12%Fines and other2.2%
Full Mesa breakdown

What stands out

29%

of Mesa's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 7.8%.

City taxes37%

Sales tax
29%$330 million
Property tax
4.2%$47.7 million
Other taxes
3.8%$42.6 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses and other selective sales taxes
  • Other licenses$35.7 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$6.8 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services49%

Fees for services
49%$554 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; sewer and 7 more
  • Water$184 million
  • Sewer$98.6 million
  • Garbage collection$71.8 million
  • Other service charges$65.1 million
  • Gas$58.9 million
  • Electric power$50.2 million
  • Other government-run businesses$16.0 million
  • Airport$4.8 million
  • Road charges$4.2 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money12%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
12%$132 million

Fines and other2.2%

Interest, rents and other
1.4%$15.9 million
Fines
0.8%$8.8 million
Mesa page →

Where the money goes

Police, fire, courts and jails36%Water, sewer, trash and utilities20%Roads, transit and parking15%Running the government and other costs14%Parks, recreation and libraries7.3%All other spending7.5%

What stands out

36%

of Mesa's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 25%.

Full Mesa breakdown

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
36%$469 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$300 million
  • Fire protection$140 million
  • Courts and legal services$26.0 million
  • Inspections and regulation$3.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
20%$260 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply; sewer systems and 3 more
  • Water supply$91.1 million
  • Sewer systems$53.0 million
  • Electric power$42.9 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$39.9 million
  • Gas supply$33.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
15%$198 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$167 million
  • Public transit$23.7 million
  • Airports$7.8 million
Running the government and other costs
14%$185 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$110 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$53.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$21.4 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
7.3%$95.3 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$86.5 million
  • Libraries$8.8 million
Interest on debt
5.3%$68.8 million
Housing and community development
2.3%$29.5 million
Mesa page →

Your schools

Mesa Unified School District

$831 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State tax money59%School district taxes28%Federal tax money8.1%Fees for services (school lunches, school tuition and transportation)2.2%Fines and other1.3%County and local tax money1.3%

What stands out

8.1%

of Mesa Unified School District's money comes from federal tax money.Most school districts with 25,000+ students get none.

Full Mesa Unified School District breakdown

School district taxes28%

Property tax
28%$241 million

Fees for services2.2%

Fees for services
2.2%$18.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther school charges; school lunches and 1 more
  • Other school charges$12.9 million
  • School lunches$5.5 million
  • School tuition and transportation$527 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money8.1%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
8.1%$70.5 million

State tax money59%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
59%$512 million

County and local tax money1.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
1.3%$10.9 million

Fines and other1.3%

Interest, rents and other
1.2%$10.1 million
Fines
0.2%$1.3 million
Mesa Unified School District page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges98%Interest on debt1.5%
Full Mesa Unified School District breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
98%$818 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$818 million
Interest on debt
1.5%$12.5 million
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$39 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government
  • Sent to the state government$39 thousand
Mesa Unified School District page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

State of Arizona. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

Maricopa County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

Mesa Unified School District. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

City of Mesa. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

How a ZIP is matched. A ZIP code is not a government boundary, so we match it to the cities, counties and school districts that overlap it, using Census Bureau geography. Where a ZIP crosses several, each one is shown with its share of the ZIP. Each government's money covers its own operations only; the others listed here are separate.

Latest recorded year. The year differs by government: each block shows the newest fiscal year on file. A Census survey year covers fiscal years ending July 1 of the year before through June 30 of that year.