Las Vegas, NV vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $9,085, a 242% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Detroit, MI — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Detroit, MI carries $776 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Detroit spends 70.8% more per capita than Las Vegas ($22,002/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,228 |
| Other | $2,806 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $833 |
| Health | $0 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $950 |
| Housing | $23 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $451 |
| Utilities | $129 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $5,243 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.