Omaha, NE vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $11,180, a 178% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Detroit, MI — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Omaha, NE 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: Omaha, NE leads with parks and recreation at $742 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 Omaha, NE and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Detroit spends 64.0% more per capita than Omaha ($19,907/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $624 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $373 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,622 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,228 |
| Other | $4,672 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $319 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,521 | $833 |
| Health | $456 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $742 | $950 |
| Housing | $3,045 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $451 |
| Utilities | $581 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $4,516 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.