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

Arlington, TX vs Detroit, MI

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Detroit spends 62.1% more per capita than Arlington ($19,318/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Arlington, TX
Pop. 393,469
A
83/100
Budget Balance78
Debt Burden96
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity89
Trend Direction50
City B
Detroit, MI
Pop. 636,787
B
69/100
Budget Balance70
Debt Burden79
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency38
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Arlington
Detroit
Total Spending
$4.6B
$19.8B
Spending / Capita
$11,769
$31,087
Total Revenue
$23.8B
$28.4B
Revenue / Capita
$60,454
$44,533
Total Debt
$233.8M
$493.9M
Debt / Capita
$594
$776
Population
393,469
636,787
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Arlington$160
Detroit$2,429
Highways & Roads
Arlington$149
Detroit$0
Parks & Recreation
Arlington$1,352
Detroit$950
Health
Arlington$219
Detroit$396

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

ArlingtonDetroit
Property Tax
$0
$44
Sales Tax
$507
$200
Income Tax
$73
$1,045
Intergovernmental
$25,062
$291
Charges & Fees
$2,949
$2,228
Other
$3,897
$6,892

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

ArlingtonDetroit
Fire Protection
$160
$2,429
Highways & Roads
$149
$0
Public Welfare
$826
$833
Health
$219
$396
Hospitals
$152
$2,217
Parks & Recreation
$1,352
$950
Housing
$2,981
$5,791
Sewerage
$141
$451
Utilities
$1,385
$2,737
Interest on Debt
$0
$2,068
Other
$4,404
$13,216
A
Arlington, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Detroit, MI
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

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