Detroit, MI vs Atlanta, GA

Detroit, MI spends 22% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $31,087 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Detroit, MI — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Detroit, MI carries $776 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Atlanta, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 6%.