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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Duluth, MN vs Minneapolis, MN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Duluth, MN spends 50% more per resident than Minneapolis, MN: $32,786 against $21,910. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 30/100 (grade F) for Duluth, MN — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 32% of total revenue in Duluth, MN and 17% in Minneapolis, MN.

Summary

Duluth spends 49.6% more per capita than Minneapolis ($10,877/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Duluth, MN
Pop. 86,772
F
30/100
Budget Balance1
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity93
Trend Direction50
City B
Minneapolis, MN
Pop. 426,877
B
65/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden91
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Duluth
Minneapolis
Total Spending
$2.8B
$9.4B
Spending / Capita
$32,786
$21,910
Total Revenue
$1.3B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$14,877
$19,159
Total Debt
$170.2M
$274.8M
Debt / Capita
$1,961
$644
Population
86,772
426,877
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Duluth$465
Minneapolis$683
Highways & Roads
Duluth$0
Minneapolis$221
Parks & Recreation
Duluth$4,217
Minneapolis$3,486
Health
Duluth$530
Minneapolis$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

DuluthMinneapolis
Property Tax
$1,363
$0
Sales Tax
$2,261
$1,989
Income Tax
$0
$994
Intergovernmental
$1,348
$2,929
Charges & Fees
$2,388
$2,040
Other
$4,697
$3,254

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

DuluthMinneapolis
Fire Protection
$465
$683
Highways & Roads
$0
$221
Public Welfare
$1,859
$1,500
Health
$530
$0
Hospitals
$1,029
$0
Parks & Recreation
$4,217
$3,486
Housing
$3,654
$4,133
Sewerage
$0
$570
Utilities
$1,313
$2,398
Interest on Debt
$3,181
$0
Other
$16,539
$8,919
F
Duluth, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 30/100
Critical fiscal distress
B
Minneapolis, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.