Detroit, MI vs Los Angeles, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $31,087, a 175% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Los Angeles, CA 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 Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Detroit, MI and 51% in Los Angeles, CA.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 63.6% more per capita than Detroit ($54,345/person difference). Detroit, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $44 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $77 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $307 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $134 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $459 |
| Other | $6,892 | $9,048 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,111 |
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $503 |
| Education | $0 | $829 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $1,286 |
| Health | $396 | $409 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $2,135 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $1,347 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $6,325 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $34 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $21,992 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $630 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,586 |
| Other | $13,216 | $33,189 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.