Fort Worth, TX vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $15,939, a 95% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Detroit, MI edges Fort Worth, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Fort Worth, TX at 15% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Detroit spends 48.7% more per capita than Fort Worth ($15,148/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 | $0 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $198 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,439 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $833 |
| Health | $235 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $451 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $4,817 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.