Arlington, TX vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $11,769, a 164% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Detroit, MI — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $776 for Detroit, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Arlington, TX at 41% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.