St. Paul, MN vs Plymouth, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Paul, MN outspends Plymouth, MN by a wide margin per resident — $22,552 versus $8,877, a 154% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Plymouth, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for St. Paul, MN — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Plymouth, MN carries the lighter load at $222 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 Plymouth, MN at $1,549.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in St. Paul, MN and 100% in Plymouth, MN.
Summary
St. Paul spends 154.1% more per capita than Plymouth ($13,675/person difference). Plymouth, MN 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 | $130 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,463 | $613 |
| Income Tax | $27 | $149 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,526 | $7,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,727 | $1,754 |
| Other | $4,806 | $1,884 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $503 | $311 |
| Public Welfare | $1,730 | $820 |
| Health | $663 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $3,391 | $345 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,137 | $1,549 |
| Housing | $4,835 | $2,036 |
| Sewerage | $367 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,294 | $904 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $631 |
| Other | $6,632 | $2,281 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.