Minneapolis, MN vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI spends 42% more per resident than Minneapolis, MN: $31,087 against $21,910. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI edges Minneapolis, MN 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, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 per resident versus $776 for Detroit, MI. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Minneapolis, MN leads with parks and recreation at $3,486 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Minneapolis, MN and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Detroit spends 29.5% more per capita than Minneapolis ($9,178/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 | $1,989 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $994 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,929 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,040 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,254 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $683 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $833 |
| Health | $0 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,486 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $570 | $451 |
| Utilities | $2,398 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $8,919 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.