Blue Springs, MO vs St. Louis, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Louis, MO outspends Blue Springs, MO by a wide margin per resident — $17,927 versus $8,040, a 123% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Blue Springs, MO edges St. Louis, MO on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 80/100 (grade A) to 75/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
St. Louis, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Blue Springs, MO carries $40 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Blue Springs, MO at $1,041 per resident and in St. Louis, MO at $1,053.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Blue Springs, MO and 39% in St. Louis, MO.
Summary
St. Louis spends 55.1% more per capita than Blue Springs ($9,886/person difference). Blue Springs, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $58 |
| Sales Tax | $472 | $192 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $50 |
| Intergovernmental | $16,987 | $5,609 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,766 | $120 |
| Other | $2,377 | $4,382 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $107 | $677 |
| Highways & Roads | $148 | $772 |
| Public Welfare | $740 | $1,793 |
| Hospitals | $160 | $445 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,041 | $1,053 |
| Housing | $3,154 | $5,667 |
| Sewerage | $153 | $436 |
| Utilities | $1,593 | $2,457 |
| Other | $945 | $4,627 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.