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

Iowa City, IA

Population: 74,878 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
62/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$16,449
Total Revenue
$751.1M
Total Debt
$13.7M

Spending Breakdown

Other
25.9%$319.6M
Hospitals
14.6%$180.3M
Utilities
14.3%$176.0M
Housing & Community Development
11.9%$147.0M
Public Welfare
7.8%$96.2M
Parks & Recreation
7.1%$87.2M
Interest on Debt
7.0%$85.7M
Health
5.9%$72.3M
Fire Protection
2.8%$34.5M
Sewerage
1.6%$20.2M
Highways & Roads
0.7%$8.4M
Education
0.3%$4.3M

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

Property Tax
0.1%$1.0M
Sales Tax
8.3%$62.4M
Income Tax
15.4%$116.0M
Intergovernmental
12.1%$91.1M
Charges & Fees
14.9%$112.2M
Other
21.8%$163.8M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$461/person
Highways & Roads$112/person
Parks & Recreation$1,165/person
Education$57/person
Health$965/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)2/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)73/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$13.7M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$183
Cash & Securities$972K

Compare Cities

See how Iowa City 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 Iowa City 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

Iowa City, IA spends $16,449 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.2B for a population of 74,878. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100).

Iowa City, IA has total expenditures of $1.2B and total revenue of $751.1M. The city carries $13.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Iowa City, 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.

Iowa City, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100). 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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