Detroit, MI vs Boston, MA

Boston, MA outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $31,087, a 133% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Boston, MA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $776 for Detroit, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Boston, MA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.