Thinking Arizona

Spending Pattern Shows Shifting Pressures

October 21, 2012

The amounts spent per capita on each major expense category by the state and by local governments from 1985 to 2010. The figures for earlier years are expressed in 2010 dollars.

State of Arizona	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010
Education	518	609	484	502	588	586
Social services	394	634	825	843	1,290	1,598
Transportation	238	513	187	324	222	227
Public safety	132	180	183	220	217	215
Environment and housing	38	57	64	57	113	73
Government administration	82	107	104	106	97	100
Utilities	5	11	8	6	6	5
Employee benefits	216	322	347	312	475	782
Other	158	222	130	189	109	143
Totals	1,781	2,654	2,332	2,560	3,117	3,729
Arizona Local Gov’ts	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010
Education	1,268	1,455	1,398	1,469	1,549	1,552
Social services	204	245	263	249	303	240
Transportation	331	367	213	253	304	271
Public safety	309	369	351	494	523	593
Environment and housing	389	475	353	397	426	479
Government administration	204	235	228	269	292	272
Utilities	797	764	610	653	751	772
Employee benefits	11	17	20	23	23	38
Other	397	467	373	367	358	403
Totals	3,910	4,394	3,809	4,174	4,528	4,620
Arizona Totals	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010
Education	1,786	2,064	1,882	1,971	2,136	2,138
Social services	597	879	1,088	1,092	1,593	1,837
Transportation	569	879	399	578	526	498
Public safety	441	549	535	715	740	808
Environment and housing	427	532	417	454	539	552
Government administration	286	342	332	376	388	372
Utilities	802	775	618	660	757	777
Employee benefits	227	338	367	335	498	821
Other	556	689	503	555	467	545
Totals	5,691	7,048	6,141	6,735	7,645	8,349

Source: http://www.census.gov/govs/estimate/