Rochester, MN vs Minneapolis, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Minneapolis, MN spends 59% more per resident than Rochester, MN: $21,910 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 65/100 (grade B) for Minneapolis, MN — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Rochester, MN carries the lighter load at $573 per resident versus $644 for Minneapolis, 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 21% of total revenue in Rochester, MN and 17% in Minneapolis, MN.
Summary
Minneapolis spends 37.0% more per capita than Rochester ($8,114/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,029 | $1,989 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $994 |
| Intergovernmental | $120 | $2,929 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,283 | $2,040 |
| Other | $6,193 | $3,254 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $445 | $683 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Public Welfare | $1,563 | $1,500 |
| Health | $673 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $3,486 |
| Housing | $3,160 | $4,133 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $570 |
| Utilities | $957 | $2,398 |
| Interest on Debt | $971 | $0 |
| Other | $4,771 | $8,919 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.