Lansing, MI vs Grand Rapids, 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 Lansing, MI at $3,190 per resident and in Grand Rapids, MI at $1,930.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 21% of total revenue in Lansing, MI and 100% in Grand Rapids, MI.
Summary
Lansing spends 39.6% 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 | $0 | $167 |
| Sales Tax | $611 | $1,089 |
| Income Tax | $698 | $429 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,165 | $25,397 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,486 | $2,769 |
| Other | $6,549 | $5,091 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $3,190 | $1,930 |
| Education | $61 | $133 |
| Public Welfare | $2,424 | $366 |
| Health | $0 | $711 |
| Hospitals | $2,917 | $2,409 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,023 | $882 |
| Housing | $4,499 | $3,014 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $252 |
| Utilities | $3,743 | $2,755 |
| Other | $12,066 | $9,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.