Detroit, MI vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI spends 41% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $31,087 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Memphis, TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Detroit spends 40.6% more per capita than Memphis ($8,977/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $2,077 |
| Other | $6,892 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $630 |
| Health | $396 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $1,158 |
| Other | $13,216 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.