Dearborn, MI vs Grand Rapids, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Grand Rapids, MI spends 28% more per resident than Dearborn, MI: $22,146 against $17,273. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Dearborn, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 42/100 (grade D) for Grand Rapids, MI — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Dearborn, MI carries the lighter load at $264 per resident versus $1,394 for Grand Rapids, MI. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Dearborn, MI at $1,938 per resident and in Grand Rapids, MI at $1,930.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Dearborn, MI and 100% in Grand Rapids, MI.
Summary
Grand Rapids spends 22.0% more per capita than Dearborn ($4,873/person difference). Dearborn, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $167 |
| Sales Tax | $756 | $1,089 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $429 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,576 | $25,397 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,326 | $2,769 |
| Other | $3,543 | $5,091 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,938 | $1,930 |
| Highways & Roads | $21 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $133 |
| Public Welfare | $1,485 | $366 |
| Health | $492 | $711 |
| Hospitals | $222 | $2,409 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,639 | $882 |
| Housing | $3,896 | $3,014 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $252 |
| Utilities | $1,958 | $2,755 |
| Interest on Debt | $35 | $0 |
| Other | $5,368 | $9,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.