Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Sterling Heights, MI vs Dearborn, MI

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

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

City A
Sterling Heights, MI
Pop. 133,744
B
75/100
Budget Balance79
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Dearborn, MI
Pop. 108,414
B
65/100
Budget Balance52
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency78
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Sterling Heights
Dearborn
Total Spending
$1.7B
$1.9B
Spending / Capita
$12,550
$17,273
Total Revenue
$2.4B
$2.6B
Revenue / Capita
$17,646
$23,576
Total Debt
$0
$28.6M
Debt / Capita
$0
$264
Population
133,744
108,414
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Sterling Heights$1,634
Dearborn$1,938
Highways & Roads
Sterling Heights$185
Dearborn$21
Parks & Recreation
Sterling Heights$11
Dearborn$1,639
Health
Sterling Heights$656
Dearborn$492

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Sterling HeightsDearborn
Sales Tax
$0
$756
Intergovernmental
$17,646
$23,576
Charges & Fees
$1,696
$2,326
Other
$3,682
$3,543

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Sterling HeightsDearborn
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
B
Sterling Heights, MI
Fiscal Health Score: 75/100
Good fiscal health
B
Dearborn, MI
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities