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

Waterloo, IA

Population: 67,256 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
71/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$17,802
Total Revenue
$1.6B
Total Debt
$40.7M

Spending Breakdown

Other
33.5%$400.6M
Housing & Community Development
17.8%$213.1M
Public Welfare
14.8%$177.3M
Utilities
10.5%$126.0M
Hospitals
10.5%$125.3M
Parks & Recreation
7.4%$89.1M
Health
2.4%$29.0M
Fire Protection
1.3%$15.0M
Sewerage
1.2%$13.8M
Highways & Roads
0.6%$7.3M
Education
0.1%$702K

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
0.3%$4.0M
Sales Tax
2.9%$45.5M
Income Tax
3.9%$61.9M
Intergovernmental
8.6%$135.9M
Charges & Fees
6.9%$108.6M
Other
16.9%$266.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$223/person
Highways & Roads$108/person
Parks & Recreation$1,325/person
Education$10/person
Health$431/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)28/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)65/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$40.7M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$605
Cash & Securities$31.8M

Compare Cities

See how Waterloo 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 Waterloo 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

Waterloo, IA spends $17,802 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.2B for a population of 67,256. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100).

Waterloo, IA has total expenditures of $1.2B and total revenue of $1.6B. The city carries $40.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Waterloo, 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.

Waterloo, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100). 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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