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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Detroit, MI

Population: 636,787 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
69/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$19.8B
Per Capita
$31,087
Total Revenue
$28.4B
Total Debt
$493.9M

Spending Breakdown

Other
42.5%$8.4B
Housing & Community Development
18.6%$3.7B
Utilities
8.8%$1.7B
Fire Protection
7.8%$1.5B
Hospitals
7.1%$1.4B
Interest on Debt
6.7%$1.3B
Parks & Recreation
3.1%$604.7M
Public Welfare
2.7%$530.2M
Sewerage
1.5%$287.3M
Health
1.3%$252.4M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$28.3M
Sales Tax
0.4%$127.3M
Income Tax
2.3%$665.2M
Intergovernmental
0.7%$185.5M
Charges & Fees
5.0%$1.4B
Other
15.5%$4.4B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$2,429/person
Parks & Recreation$950/person
Health$396/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)70/100
Debt Burden (20%)79/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)38/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$493.9M
Long-Term Debt$532.7M
Debt Per Capita$776
Cash & Securities$258.1M

Compare Cities

See how Detroit stacks up against another city.

vs Grand Rapids, MIvs Warren, MIvs Sterling Heights, MI
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Michigan

Grand Rapids, MI

Pop. 198K

D
Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$22,146

Warren, MI

Pop. 139K

C
Total Spending
$2.1B
Per Capita
$15,235

Sterling Heights, MI

Pop. 134K

B
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$12,550

Ann Arbor, MI

Pop. 122K

D
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$22,006

Compare Detroit With

Grand Rapids, MI

Spending: $22,146/person · Grade: D

Warren, MI

Spending: $15,235/person · Grade: C

Sterling Heights, MI

Spending: $12,550/person · Grade: B

Ann Arbor, MI

Spending: $22,006/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Detroit, MI spends $31,087 per resident, based on total expenditures of $19.8B for a population of 636,787. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (69/100).

Detroit, MI has total expenditures of $19.8B and total revenue of $28.4B. The city carries $493.9M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Detroit, MI employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Detroit, MI has a Fiscal Health Score of B (69/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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