Ann Arbor, MI vs Dearborn, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Ann Arbor, MI spends 27% more per resident than Dearborn, MI: $22,006 against $17,273. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Dearborn, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 46/100 (grade D) for Ann Arbor, MI — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Dearborn, MI carries the lighter load at $264 per resident versus $2,923 for Ann Arbor, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Ann Arbor, MI leads with parks and recreation at $1,799 per resident, while Dearborn, MI leads with fire protection at $1,938.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Ann Arbor, MI at 17% of total revenue, whereas Dearborn, MI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Ann Arbor spends 27.4% more per capita than Dearborn ($4,733/person difference). Dearborn, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $452 | $756 |
| Income Tax | $378 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,670 | $23,576 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,961 | $2,326 |
| Other | $4,076 | $3,543 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,572 | $1,938 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $21 |
| Public Welfare | $1,621 | $1,485 |
| Health | $0 | $492 |
| Hospitals | $2,532 | $222 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,799 | $1,639 |
| Housing | $2,662 | $3,896 |
| Sewerage | $511 | $219 |
| Utilities | $2,610 | $1,958 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,056 | $35 |
| Other | $7,644 | $5,368 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.