Ann Arbor, MI vs Lansing, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lansing, MI spends 41% more per resident than Ann Arbor, MI: $30,923 against $22,006. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lansing, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 46/100 (grade D) for Ann Arbor, MI — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Lansing, MI carries the lighter load at $796 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 Lansing, MI leads with fire protection at $3,190.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Ann Arbor, MI at 17% of total revenue, whereas Lansing, MI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 21%.
Summary
Lansing spends 28.8% more per capita than Ann Arbor ($8,917/person difference). Lansing, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $452 | $611 |
| Income Tax | $378 | $698 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,670 | $20,165 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,961 | $4,486 |
| Other | $4,076 | $6,549 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,572 | $3,190 |
| Education | $0 | $61 |
| Public Welfare | $1,621 | $2,424 |
| Hospitals | $2,532 | $2,917 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,799 | $2,023 |
| Housing | $2,662 | $4,499 |
| Sewerage | $511 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,610 | $3,743 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,056 | $0 |
| Other | $7,644 | $12,066 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.