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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Council Bluffs, IA

Population: 62,670 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

D
43/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$1.1B
Per Capita
$17,662
Total Revenue
$883.7M
Total Debt
$62.3M

Spending Breakdown

Other
32.2%$356.9M
Housing & Community Development
19.2%$212.2M
Utilities
17.7%$195.5M
Parks & Recreation
9.0%$99.4M
Public Welfare
8.5%$93.6M
Fire Protection
4.8%$53.3M
Health
3.2%$35.2M
Highways & Roads
2.1%$23.4M
Interest on Debt
1.6%$17.4M
Sewerage
1.0%$11.3M
Hospitals
0.8%$8.6M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
1.7%$14.6M
Income Tax
7.3%$64.9M
Intergovernmental
2.7%$24.0M
Charges & Fees
16.8%$148.8M
Other
24.3%$214.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$850/person
Highways & Roads$373/person
Parks & Recreation$1,587/person
Health$562/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)13/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)66/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$62.3M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$994
Cash & Securities$4.4M

Compare Cities

See how Council Bluffs stacks up against another city.

vs Des Moines, IAvs Cedar Rapids, IAvs Davenport, IA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Iowa

Des Moines, IA

Pop. 213K

C
Total Spending
$277.4M
Per Capita
$1,302

Cedar Rapids, IA

Pop. 137K

C
Total Spending
$3.3B
Per Capita
$23,973

Davenport, IA

Pop. 101K

A
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$14,236

Sioux City, IA

Pop. 85K

B
Total Spending
$1.3B
Per Capita
$15,576

Compare Council Bluffs With

Des Moines, IA

Spending: $1,302/person · Grade: C

Cedar Rapids, IA

Spending: $23,973/person · Grade: C

Davenport, IA

Spending: $14,236/person · Grade: A

Sioux City, IA

Spending: $15,576/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Council Bluffs, IA spends $17,662 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.1B for a population of 62,670. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100).

Council Bluffs, IA has total expenditures of $1.1B and total revenue of $883.7M. The city carries $62.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Council Bluffs, IA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Council Bluffs, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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