Financial self-sufficiency of communes, the lowest tier of Polish local government, constitutes an important factor in the social and economic development of a region. Rural communes, especially those peripheral to the main urban hubs have lower income potential, which entails lower levels of self-sufficiency. This in turn may create an impediment to the multi-functional development of rural areas, which is one of the prime concerns of EU regional policy. The aim of the article was to assess the level and span of financial self-sufficiency of the Wielkopolska province rural communes compared to the other administrative types in 2005 and 2013. The study drew from the data of the Polish Central Statistical Office.