Detroit, MI vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $17,934, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA 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.
San Jose, 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 San Jose, CA leads with parks and recreation at $1,424.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 15% of total revenue in Detroit, MI and 9% in San Jose, CA.
Summary
Detroit spends 73.3% more per capita than San Jose ($13,153/person difference). San Jose, CA 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 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $200 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $1,045 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $291 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,228 | $608 |
| Other | $6,892 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,429 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $833 | $810 |
| Health | $396 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $2,217 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $950 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $5,791 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $451 | $161 |
| Utilities | $2,737 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,068 | $0 |
| Other | $13,216 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.