Memphis, TN vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI spends 41% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $31,087 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI edges Memphis, TN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $776 for Detroit, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Memphis, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Detroit spends 28.9% more per capita than Memphis ($8,977/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 | $10 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,994 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $833 |
| Health | $391 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $451 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $2,068 |
| Other | $8,850 | $13,216 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.