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

Wilmington, DE

Population: 71,034 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

F
34/100

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$37,612
Total Revenue
$2.4B
Total Debt
$65.3M

Spending Breakdown

Utilities
30.3%$810.7M
Housing & Community Development
28.2%$752.4M
Other
24.1%$644.6M
Fire Protection
5.3%$142.6M
Public Welfare
4.3%$114.3M
Parks & Recreation
3.4%$89.7M
Sewerage
2.5%$66.4M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$32.8M
Hospitals
0.7%$18.3M

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
3.3%$80.4M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$2.4B
Charges & Fees
24.5%$593.9M
Other
15.9%$385.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$2,007/person
Highways & Roads$462/person
Parks & Recreation$1,263/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)54/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$65.3M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$919
Cash & Securities$53.0M

Compare Cities

See how Wilmington stacks up against another city.

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wilmington, DE spends $37,612 per resident, based on total expenditures of $2.7B for a population of 71,034. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100).

Wilmington, DE has total expenditures of $2.7B and total revenue of $2.4B. The city carries $65.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

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

Wilmington, DE has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100). 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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