Grand Rapids, MI vs Lansing, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lansing, MI spends 40% more per resident than Grand Rapids, MI: $30,923 against $22,146. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lansing, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 42/100 (grade D) for Grand Rapids, MI — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Lansing, MI carries the lighter load at $796 per resident versus $1,394 for Grand Rapids, MI. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Grand Rapids, MI at $1,930 per resident and in Lansing, MI at $3,190.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Grand Rapids, MI and 21% in Lansing, MI.
Summary
Lansing spends 28.4% more per capita than Grand Rapids ($8,777/person difference). Lansing, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $167 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,089 | $611 |
| Income Tax | $429 | $698 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,397 | $20,165 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,769 | $4,486 |
| Other | $5,091 | $6,549 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,930 | $3,190 |
| Education | $133 | $61 |
| Public Welfare | $366 | $2,424 |
| Health | $711 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,409 | $2,917 |
| Parks & Recreation | $882 | $2,023 |
| Housing | $3,014 | $4,499 |
| Sewerage | $252 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,755 | $3,743 |
| Other | $9,692 | $12,066 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.