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

Joplin, MO

Population: 51,848 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
63/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$566.0M
Per Capita
$10,917
Total Revenue
$241.2M
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
43.2%$244.6M
Housing & Community Development
17.3%$98.2M
Public Welfare
9.7%$54.9M
Parks & Recreation
6.7%$37.8M
Fire Protection
6.3%$35.6M
Utilities
5.2%$29.2M
Health
3.2%$18.2M
Highways & Roads
2.0%$11.3M
Interest on Debt
2.0%$11.2M
Police
1.9%$11.0M
Hospitals
0.9%$5.3M
Sewerage
0.9%$5.1M
Education
0.6%$3.6M

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
5.2%$12.5M
Income Tax
10.5%$25.3M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$241.2M
Other
95.3%$229.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$212/person
Fire Protection$686/person
Highways & Roads$219/person
Parks & Recreation$729/person
Education$69/person
Health$351/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)33/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Joplin stacks up against another city.

vs Kansas City, MOvs St. Louis, MOvs Springfield, MO
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Missouri

Kansas City, MO

Pop. 506K

C
Total Spending
$11.5B
Per Capita
$22,820

St. Louis, MO

Pop. 298K

B
Total Spending
$5.3B
Per Capita
$17,927

Springfield, MO

Pop. 169K

A
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$15,703

Columbia, MO

Pop. 126K

B
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$13,757

Compare Joplin With

Kansas City, MO

Spending: $22,820/person · Grade: C

St. Louis, MO

Spending: $17,927/person · Grade: B

Springfield, MO

Spending: $15,703/person · Grade: A

Columbia, MO

Spending: $13,757/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Joplin, MO spends $10,917 per resident, based on total expenditures of $566.0M for a population of 51,848. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (63/100).

Joplin, MO has total expenditures of $566.0M and total revenue of $241.2M. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

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

Joplin, MO has a Fiscal Health Score of C (63/100). 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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