Detroit, MI vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $31,087, a 492% 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 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 per resident versus $2,031 for San Francisco, CA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429 per resident, while San Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Detroit, MI at 15% of total revenue, whereas San Francisco, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
San Francisco spends 83.1% more per capita than Detroit ($153,044/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 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $7,961 |
| Other | $6,892 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $2,281 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $2,203 |
| Health | $396 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $0 | $14,899 |
| Other | $13,216 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.