Woodbury, MN vs St. Paul, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Paul, MN outspends Woodbury, MN by a wide margin per resident — $22,552 versus $8,705, a 159% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Woodbury, MN edges St. Paul, MN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Woodbury, MN carries the lighter load at $1,106 per resident versus $2,026 for St. Paul, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Woodbury, MN at $1,659 per resident and in St. Paul, MN at $2,137.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Woodbury, MN at 32% of total revenue, whereas St. Paul, MN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.
Summary
St. Paul spends 61.4% more per capita than Woodbury ($13,847/person difference). Woodbury, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $414 | $130 |
| Sales Tax | $1,053 | $1,463 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $27 |
| Intergovernmental | $10 | $6,526 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,071 | $2,727 |
| Other | $2,165 | $4,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $367 | $503 |
| Public Welfare | $1,759 | $1,730 |
| Health | $0 | $663 |
| Hospitals | $63 | $3,391 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,659 | $2,137 |
| Housing | $2,022 | $4,835 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $367 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,294 |
| Other | $1,610 | $6,632 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.