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

Columbus, OH vs Minneapolis, MN

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Minneapolis, MN spends 16% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $21,910 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 per resident versus $1,145 for Columbus, OH. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbus, OH at $2,168 per resident and in Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.

Summary

Minneapolis spends 13.9% more per capita than Columbus ($3,052/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Columbus, OH
Pop. 902,449
C
52/100
Budget Balance32
Debt Burden46
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency94
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Minneapolis, MN
Pop. 426,877
B
65/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden91
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Columbus
Minneapolis
Total Spending
$17.0B
$9.4B
Spending / Capita
$18,858
$21,910
Total Revenue
$0
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$19,159
Total Debt
$1.0B
$274.8M
Debt / Capita
$1,145
$644
Population
902,449
426,877
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Columbus$1,016
Minneapolis$683
Highways & Roads
Columbus$224
Minneapolis$221
Parks & Recreation
Columbus$2,168
Minneapolis$3,486

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

ColumbusMinneapolis
Property Tax
$10
$0
Sales Tax
$234
$1,989
Income Tax
$1
$994
Intergovernmental
$0
$2,929
Charges & Fees
$2,389
$2,040
Other
$5,248
$3,254

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

ColumbusMinneapolis
Fire Protection
$1,016
$683
Highways & Roads
$224
$221
Public Welfare
$878
$1,500
Hospitals
$953
$0
Parks & Recreation
$2,168
$3,486
Housing
$4,303
$4,133
Sewerage
$1
$570
Utilities
$1,719
$2,398
Other
$7,595
$8,919
C
Columbus, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 52/100
Average fiscal health
B
Minneapolis, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.