Detroit, MI vs Oakland, CA

Detroit, MI and Oakland, CA spend within 3.4% of each other per resident — $31,087 versus $30,055 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

Oakland, CA edges Detroit, MI on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 72/100 (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.

Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Oakland, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.