Bloomington, MN vs St. Paul, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Paul, MN and Bloomington, MN spend within 5.7% of each other per resident — $22,552 versus $21,342 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
St. Paul, MN edges Bloomington, MN on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Bloomington, MN carries the lighter load at $355 per resident versus $2,026 for St. Paul, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Bloomington, MN at $1,297 per resident and in St. Paul, MN at $2,137.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Bloomington, MN at 40% of total revenue, whereas St. Paul, MN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
St. Paul spends 5.4% more per capita than Bloomington ($1,210/person difference). St. Paul, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $956 | $130 |
| Sales Tax | $568 | $1,463 |
| Income Tax | $1,025 | $27 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,294 | $6,526 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,186 | $2,727 |
| Other | $774 | $4,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $282 | $503 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,499 | $1,730 |
| Health | $0 | $663 |
| Hospitals | $1,423 | $3,391 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,297 | $2,137 |
| Housing | $3,707 | $4,835 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $367 |
| Utilities | $4,291 | $2,294 |
| Other | $7,817 | $6,632 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.