San Diego, CA vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA spends 39% more per resident than Detroit, MI: $43,306 against $31,087. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, 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: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 39% of total revenue in San Diego, CA and 15% in Detroit, MI.
Summary
San Diego spends 39.3% more per capita than Detroit ($12,219/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 | $124 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,801 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $0 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $833 |
| Health | $411 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $950 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $451 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $17,509 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.