Detroit, MI vs Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, MD outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $31,087, a 119% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Baltimore, MD edges Detroit, MI on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 69/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Baltimore, MD 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 Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Baltimore, MD relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.