St. Paul, MN vs Lakeville, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Paul, MN outspends Lakeville, MN by a wide margin per resident — $22,552 versus $9,491, a 138% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lakeville, MN edges St. Paul, MN on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 58/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Lakeville, MN carries the lighter load at $869 per resident versus $2,026 for St. Paul, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in St. Paul, MN at $2,137 per resident and in Lakeville, MN at $688.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in St. Paul, MN and 36% in Lakeville, MN.
Summary
St. Paul spends 137.6% more per capita than Lakeville ($13,061/person difference). Lakeville, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $130 | $619 |
| Sales Tax | $1,463 | $785 |
| Income Tax | $27 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,526 | $6,772 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,727 | $1,685 |
| Other | $4,806 | $2,950 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $503 | $274 |
| Public Welfare | $1,730 | $777 |
| Health | $663 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $3,391 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,137 | $688 |
| Housing | $4,835 | $2,141 |
| Sewerage | $367 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,294 | $1,292 |
| Other | $6,632 | $4,319 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.