Long Beach, CA vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA and Detroit, MI spend within 10.2% of each other per resident — $34,250 versus $31,087 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Detroit, MI edges Long Beach, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Long Beach, CA 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: Long Beach, CA leads with parks and recreation at $698 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 12% of total revenue in Long Beach, CA and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Long Beach spends 10.2% more per capita than Detroit ($3,163/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 | $36 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,228 |
| Other | $8,836 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $2,429 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $833 |
| Health | $477 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $950 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $451 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $2,068 |
| Other | $16,533 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.