Sterling Heights, MI vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Sterling Heights, MI by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $12,550, a 148% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sterling Heights, MI edges Detroit, MI on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 69/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Sterling Heights, MI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Detroit, MI carries $776 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 Detroit, MI at $2,429.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Sterling Heights, MI at 100% of total revenue, whereas Detroit, MI relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Detroit spends 59.6% more per capita than Sterling Heights ($18,538/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,646 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,696 | $2,228 |
| Other | $3,682 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,634 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $185 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $761 | $833 |
| Health | $656 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $66 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $11 | $950 |
| Housing | $2,747 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $159 | $451 |
| Utilities | $2,756 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $3,575 | $13,216 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.