Ann Arbor, MI vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI spends 41% more per resident than Ann Arbor, MI: $31,087 against $22,006. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 46/100 (grade D) for Ann Arbor, MI — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 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 Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Ann Arbor, MI and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Detroit spends 29.2% more per capita than Ann Arbor ($9,082/person difference). Detroit, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $452 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $378 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,670 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,961 | $2,228 |
| Other | $4,076 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,572 | $2,429 |
| Public Welfare | $1,621 | $833 |
| Health | $0 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $2,532 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,799 | $950 |
| Housing | $2,662 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $511 | $451 |
| Utilities | $2,610 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,056 | $2,068 |
| Other | $7,644 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.