Caldwell, ID vs Pocatello, ID
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pocatello, ID spends 31% more per resident than Caldwell, ID: $13,241 against $10,082. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Caldwell, ID edges Pocatello, ID on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 54/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Pocatello, ID reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Caldwell, ID carries $116 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Caldwell, ID at $590 per resident and in Pocatello, ID at $963.
Summary
Pocatello spends 23.9% more per capita than Caldwell ($3,158/person difference). Caldwell, ID has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $390 | $1,118 |
| Sales Tax | $291 | $279 |
| Income Tax | $965 | $1,817 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $4 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,467 | $2,593 |
| Other | $2,417 | $3,385 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $68 | $212 |
| Highways & Roads | $62 | $291 |
| Education | $43 | $43 |
| Public Welfare | $1,569 | $961 |
| Health | $206 | $342 |
| Hospitals | $351 | $138 |
| Parks & Recreation | $590 | $963 |
| Housing | $1,866 | $2,832 |
| Sewerage | $213 | $123 |
| Utilities | $2,255 | $3,313 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $495 |
| Other | $2,860 | $3,527 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.