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

Royal Oak, MI

Population: 58,053 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
74/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$978.5M
Per Capita
$16,856
Total Revenue
$1.7B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
39.8%$389.6M
Housing & Community Development
20.0%$196.1M
Fire Protection
11.1%$108.2M
Utilities
8.4%$82.5M
Parks & Recreation
7.1%$69.6M
Public Welfare
6.2%$60.6M
Health
3.7%$36.2M
Sewerage
2.2%$21.2M
Highways & Roads
0.8%$7.7M
Hospitals
0.7%$6.9M

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

Sales Tax
3.6%$60.6M
Intergovernmental
0.5%$8.4M
Charges & Fees
7.9%$134.4M
Other
15.0%$254.0M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,864/person
Highways & Roads$133/person
Parks & Recreation$1,199/person
Health$624/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)51/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)71/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Royal Oak stacks up against another city.

vs Detroit, MIvs Grand Rapids, MIvs Warren, 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

Detroit, MI

Pop. 637K

B
Total Spending
$19.8B
Per Capita
$31,087

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

Compare Royal Oak With

Detroit, MI

Spending: $31,087/person · Grade: B

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Royal Oak, MI spends $16,856 per resident, based on total expenditures of $978.5M for a population of 58,053. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (74/100).

Royal Oak, MI has total expenditures of $978.5M and total revenue of $1.7B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Royal Oak, 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.

Royal Oak, MI has a Fiscal Health Score of B (74/100). 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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