Rochester, MN vs Bloomington, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bloomington, MN spends 55% more per resident than Rochester, MN: $21,342 against $13,796. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Rochester, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 86/100 (grade A) against 48/100 (grade D) for Bloomington, MN — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bloomington, MN carries the lighter load at $355 per resident versus $573 for Rochester, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Rochester, MN at $1,257 per resident and in Bloomington, MN at $1,297.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Rochester, MN at 21% of total revenue, whereas Bloomington, MN relies most on charges and fees at 40%.
Summary
Bloomington spends 35.4% more per capita than Rochester ($7,546/person difference). Rochester, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 86/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,144 | $956 |
| Sales Tax | $1,029 | $568 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,025 |
| Intergovernmental | $120 | $3,294 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,283 | $4,186 |
| Other | $6,193 | $774 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $445 | $282 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $1,563 | $2,499 |
| Health | $673 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,423 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $1,297 |
| Housing | $3,160 | $3,707 |
| Utilities | $957 | $4,291 |
| Interest on Debt | $971 | $0 |
| Other | $4,771 | $7,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.