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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Rochester, MN vs Brooklyn Park, MN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Rochester, MN spends 26% more per resident than Brooklyn Park, MN: $13,796 against $10,921. 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 56/100 (grade C) for Brooklyn Park, MN — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Brooklyn Park, MN carries the lighter load at $409 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 Brooklyn Park, MN at $1,618.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Rochester, MN at 21% of total revenue, whereas Brooklyn Park, MN relies most on charges and fees at 52%.

Summary

Rochester spends 26.3% more per capita than Brooklyn Park ($2,875/person difference). Rochester, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 86/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Rochester, MN
Pop. 120,848
A
86/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden81
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency98
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Brooklyn Park, MN
Pop. 84,951
C
56/100
Budget Balance7
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity50
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Rochester
Brooklyn Park
Total Spending
$1.7B
$927.8M
Spending / Capita
$13,796
$10,921
Total Revenue
$3.6B
$372.9M
Revenue / Capita
$29,511
$4,389
Total Debt
$69.2M
$34.7M
Debt / Capita
$573
$409
Population
120,848
84,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Rochester$445
Brooklyn Park$201
Parks & Recreation
Rochester$1,257
Brooklyn Park$1,618
Health
Rochester$673
Brooklyn Park$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

RochesterBrooklyn Park
Property Tax
$1,144
$520
Sales Tax
$1,029
$753
Intergovernmental
$120
$228
Charges & Fees
$1,283
$2,265
Other
$6,193
$411

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

RochesterBrooklyn Park
Fire Protection
$445
$201
Public Welfare
$1,563
$752
Health
$673
$0
Hospitals
$0
$407
Parks & Recreation
$1,257
$1,618
Housing
$3,160
$3,434
Utilities
$957
$2,176
Interest on Debt
$971
$0
Other
$4,771
$2,333
A
Rochester, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 86/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Brooklyn Park, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.