Cedar Rapids, IA vs Waterloo, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA spends 35% more per resident than Waterloo, IA: $23,973 against $17,802. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Waterloo, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Cedar Rapids, IA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Waterloo, IA carries the lighter load at $605 per resident versus $1,391 for Cedar Rapids, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Cedar Rapids, IA at $1,165 per resident and in Waterloo, IA at $1,325.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Cedar Rapids, IA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Waterloo, IA relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 34.7% more per capita than Waterloo ($6,171/person difference). Waterloo, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $8 | $59 |
| Sales Tax | $2,450 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $1,513 | $920 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,898 | $2,021 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,261 | $1,614 |
| Other | $4,807 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $466 | $223 |
| Highways & Roads | $102 | $108 |
| Education | $0 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $1,987 | $2,637 |
| Health | $567 | $431 |
| Hospitals | $612 | $1,864 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $1,325 |
| Housing | $4,126 | $3,169 |
| Sewerage | $314 | $205 |
| Utilities | $4,004 | $1,874 |
| Interest on Debt | $737 | $0 |
| Other | $9,894 | $5,957 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.