Philadelphia, PA vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $31,087, a 81% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Philadelphia, PA at $7,082 per resident and in Detroit, MI at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Philadelphia, PA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 81.0% more per capita than Detroit ($25,185/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 | $107 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $2,228 |
| Other | $4,029 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $833 |
| Health | $229 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $451 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $2,068 |
| Other | $30,692 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.