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

Atlanta, GA vs Detroit, MI

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

Summary

Detroit spends 18.1% more per capita than Atlanta ($5,630/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Atlanta, GA
Pop. 494,838
A
85/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency64
Revenue Diversity100
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
Atlanta
Detroit
Total Spending
$12.6B
$19.8B
Spending / Capita
$25,457
$31,087
Total Revenue
$77.6B
$28.4B
Revenue / Capita
$156,803
$44,533
Total Debt
$0
$493.9M
Debt / Capita
$0
$776
Population
494,838
636,787
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Atlanta$315
Detroit$0
Fire Protection
Atlanta$464
Detroit$2,429
Highways & Roads
Atlanta$513
Detroit$0
Parks & Recreation
Atlanta$1,274
Detroit$950
Education
Atlanta$25
Detroit$0
Health
Atlanta$0
Detroit$396

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaDetroit
Property Tax
$419
$44
Sales Tax
$0
$200
Income Tax
$1,292
$1,045
Intergovernmental
$9,121
$291
Charges & Fees
$5,645
$2,228
Other
$5,461
$6,892

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaDetroit
Police
$315
$0
Fire Protection
$464
$2,429
Highways & Roads
$513
$0
Education
$25
$0
Public Welfare
$1,587
$833
Health
$0
$396
Hospitals
$55
$2,217
Parks & Recreation
$1,274
$950
Housing
$4,594
$5,791
Sewerage
$343
$451
Utilities
$8,026
$2,737
Interest on Debt
$0
$2,068
Other
$8,262
$13,216
A
Atlanta, GA
Fiscal Health Score: 85/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Detroit, MI
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

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