Tulsa, OK vs Detroit, MI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Detroit, MI outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $31,087 versus $5,250, a 492% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Detroit, MI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Tulsa, OK — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Detroit, MI carries $776 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Detroit, MI leads with fire protection at $2,429.
Summary
Detroit spends 83.1% more per capita than Tulsa ($25,837/person difference). Detroit, MI 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 | $0 | $44 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $200 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,045 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $291 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,228 |
| Other | $53 | $6,892 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $2,429 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $833 |
| Health | $762 | $396 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,217 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $950 |
| Housing | $350 | $5,791 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $451 |
| Utilities | $41 | $2,737 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,068 |
| Other | $2,748 | $13,216 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.