Sterling Heights, MI vs Warren, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Warren, MI spends 21% more per resident than Sterling Heights, MI: $15,235 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 63/100 (grade C) for Warren, MI — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sterling Heights, MI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Warren, MI carries $941 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 Warren, MI at $2,024.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Sterling Heights, MI and 27% in Warren, MI.
Summary
Warren spends 17.6% more per capita than Sterling Heights ($2,685/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 | $68 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,646 | $3,804 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,696 | $1,940 |
| Other | $3,682 | $2,406 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,634 | $2,024 |
| Highways & Roads | $185 | $154 |
| Public Welfare | $761 | $2,305 |
| Health | $656 | $330 |
| Hospitals | $66 | $164 |
| Parks & Recreation | $11 | $449 |
| Housing | $2,747 | $3,684 |
| Sewerage | $159 | $234 |
| Utilities | $2,756 | $2,218 |
| Other | $3,575 | $3,671 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.