Lansing, MI vs Dearborn, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lansing, MI outspends Dearborn, MI by a wide margin per resident — $30,923 versus $17,273, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dearborn, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Lansing, MI — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Dearborn, MI carries the lighter load at $264 per resident versus $796 for Lansing, MI. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Lansing, MI at $3,190 per resident and in Dearborn, MI at $1,938.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 21% of total revenue in Lansing, MI and 100% in Dearborn, MI.
Summary
Lansing spends 79.0% more per capita than Dearborn ($13,650/person difference). Dearborn, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $611 | $756 |
| Income Tax | $698 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,165 | $23,576 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,486 | $2,326 |
| Other | $6,549 | $3,543 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $3,190 | $1,938 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $21 |
| Education | $61 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,424 | $1,485 |
| Health | $0 | $492 |
| Hospitals | $2,917 | $222 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,023 | $1,639 |
| Housing | $4,499 | $3,896 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $219 |
| Utilities | $3,743 | $1,958 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $35 |
| Other | $12,066 | $5,368 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.