Minneapolis, MN vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Minneapolis, MN by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $21,910, a 157% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Minneapolis, MN leads with parks and recreation at $3,486 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Minneapolis, MN at 17% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 61.1% more per capita than Minneapolis ($34,362/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,989 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $994 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,929 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,040 | $2,790 |
| Other | $3,254 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $683 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,486 | $593 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $570 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,398 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $8,919 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.