The fiscal crisis of American cities is related to the existence of a relatively large black population. To examine this issue, as well as others, a sample has been selected from the 37 largest central cities and divided into two groups: one composed of cities with a majority or near-majority black population, the other overwhelmingly white in its ethnic composition. Certain social and economic characteristics of both sets of cities are then related to the magnitude of their public expenditures and the characteristics of the resource base from which part of the resources must be drawn to support these expenditure levels.