Duluth, MN vs Bloomington, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Duluth, MN spends 54% more per resident than Bloomington, MN: $32,786 against $21,342. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Bloomington, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 48/100 (grade D) against 30/100 (grade F) for Duluth, MN — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bloomington, MN carries the lighter load at $355 per resident versus $1,961 for Duluth, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Duluth, MN at $4,217 per resident and in Bloomington, MN at $1,297.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Duluth, MN at 32% of total revenue, whereas Bloomington, MN relies most on charges and fees at 40%.
Summary
Duluth spends 53.6% more per capita than Bloomington ($11,444/person difference). Bloomington, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 48/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,363 | $956 |
| Sales Tax | $2,261 | $568 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,025 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,348 | $3,294 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,388 | $4,186 |
| Other | $4,697 | $774 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $465 | $282 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $1,859 | $2,499 |
| Health | $530 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,029 | $1,423 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,217 | $1,297 |
| Housing | $3,654 | $3,707 |
| Utilities | $1,313 | $4,291 |
| Interest on Debt | $3,181 | $0 |
| Other | $16,539 | $7,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.