Detroit, MI vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI spends 54% more per resident than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY: $31,087 against $20,200. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Detroit, MI at $2,429 per resident and in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at $1,132.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Detroit, MI and 103% in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY.
Summary
Detroit spends 53.9% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($10,887/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $3,823 |
| Other | $6,892 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $1,132 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $1,849 |
| Health | $396 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $249 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $1,517 |
| Other | $13,216 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.