San Antonio, TX vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $16,943, a 83% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Detroit, MI edges San Antonio, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 69/100 (grade B) to 68/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Detroit, MI carries the lighter load at $776 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Antonio, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,045 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Antonio, TX at 17% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Detroit spends 45.5% more per capita than San Antonio ($14,145/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 | $9 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,184 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $0 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $833 |
| Health | $293 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $950 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $451 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $5,352 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.