Sterling Heights, MI vs Dearborn, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dearborn, MI spends 38% more per resident than Sterling Heights, MI: $17,273 against $12,550. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Sterling Heights, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 65/100 (grade B) for Dearborn, MI — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sterling Heights, MI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Dearborn, MI carries $264 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Sterling Heights, MI at $1,634 per resident and in Dearborn, MI at $1,938.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Sterling Heights, MI and 100% in Dearborn, MI.
Summary
Dearborn spends 27.3% more per capita than Sterling Heights ($4,723/person difference). Sterling Heights, MI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $756 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,646 | $23,576 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,696 | $2,326 |
| Other | $3,682 | $3,543 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,634 | $1,938 |
| Highways & Roads | $185 | $21 |
| Public Welfare | $761 | $1,485 |
| Health | $656 | $492 |
| Hospitals | $66 | $222 |
| Parks & Recreation | $11 | $1,639 |
| Housing | $2,747 | $3,896 |
| Sewerage | $159 | $219 |
| Utilities | $2,756 | $1,958 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $35 |
| Other | $3,575 | $5,368 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.