Detroit, MI vs Omaha, NE
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $11,180, a 178% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Detroit, MI — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Omaha, NE 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 Omaha, NE leads with parks and recreation at $742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Detroit, MI and 17% in Omaha, NE.
Summary
Detroit spends 178.1% more per capita than Omaha ($19,907/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $44 | $624 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $2,622 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $0 |
| Other | $6,892 | $4,672 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $319 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $1,521 |
| Health | $396 | $456 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $742 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $3,045 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $581 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $0 |
| Other | $13,216 | $4,516 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.