Cedar Rapids, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $23,973 versus $1,302, a 1742% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Des Moines, IA edges Cedar Rapids, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 55/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Des Moines, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cedar Rapids, IA carries $1,391 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Cedar Rapids, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,165 per resident, while Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 1741.9% more per capita than Des Moines ($22,672/person difference). Des Moines, IA 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 | $8 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $2,450 | $8 |
| Income Tax | $1,513 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,898 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,261 | $0 |
| Other | $4,807 | $38 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $466 | $55 |
| Highways & Roads | $102 | $3 |
| Education | $0 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $1,987 | $388 |
| Health | $567 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $612 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $0 |
| Housing | $4,126 | $164 |
| Sewerage | $314 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,004 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $737 | $1 |
| Other | $9,894 | $547 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.