Sacramento, CA vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sacramento, CA outspends Detroit, MI by a wide margin per resident — $71,020 versus $31,087, a 128% 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 57/100 (grade C) for Sacramento, CA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sacramento, CA 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: Sacramento, CA leads with police at $5,402 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 8% of total revenue in Sacramento, CA and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
Sacramento spends 128.5% more per capita than Detroit ($39,933/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 | $1,465 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $378 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $3,104 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,400 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,239 | $2,228 |
| Other | $5,072 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,402 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,466 | $2,429 |
| Education | $2,684 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,470 | $833 |
| Health | $18 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,437 | $950 |
| Housing | $8,577 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $103 | $451 |
| Utilities | $19,920 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $162 | $2,068 |
| Other | $26,782 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.