Ankeny, IA vs Iowa City, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Iowa City, IA outspends Ankeny, IA by a wide margin per resident — $16,449 versus $9,971, a 65% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Iowa City, IA edges Ankeny, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 62/100 (grade C) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Iowa City, IA carries the lighter load at $183 per resident versus $1,314 for Ankeny, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Ankeny, IA at $1,069 per resident and in Iowa City, IA at $1,165.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 18% of total revenue in Ankeny, IA and 22% in Iowa City, IA.
Summary
Iowa City spends 39.4% more per capita than Ankeny ($6,479/person difference). Iowa City, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $14 |
| Sales Tax | $527 | $833 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,549 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,337 | $1,216 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $1,499 |
| Other | $3,353 | $2,188 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $146 | $461 |
| Highways & Roads | $10 | $112 |
| Education | $0 | $57 |
| Public Welfare | $957 | $1,285 |
| Health | $379 | $965 |
| Hospitals | $4 | $2,408 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,069 | $1,165 |
| Housing | $2,088 | $1,963 |
| Sewerage | $313 | $270 |
| Utilities | $1,853 | $2,351 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,144 |
| Other | $3,151 | $4,268 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.