Dearborn, MI vs Sterling Heights, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dearborn, MI spends 38% more per resident than Sterling Heights, MI: $17,273 against $12,550. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Sterling Heights, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 65/100 (grade B) for Dearborn, MI — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sterling Heights, MI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Dearborn, MI carries $264 per resident. 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 Sterling Heights, MI at $1,634.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Dearborn, MI and 100% in Sterling Heights, MI.
Summary
Dearborn spends 37.6% more per capita than Sterling Heights ($4,723/person difference). Sterling Heights, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $756 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,576 | $17,646 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,326 | $1,696 |
| Other | $3,543 | $3,682 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,938 | $1,634 |
| Highways & Roads | $21 | $185 |
| Public Welfare | $1,485 | $761 |
| Health | $492 | $656 |
| Hospitals | $222 | $66 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,639 | $11 |
| Housing | $3,896 | $2,747 |
| Sewerage | $219 | $159 |
| Utilities | $1,958 | $2,756 |
| Interest on Debt | $35 | $0 |
| Other | $5,368 | $3,575 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.