Cedar Rapids, IA vs West Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA outspends West Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $23,973 versus $14,779, a 62% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Cedar Rapids, IA and West Des Moines, IA both land at 53/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Cedar Rapids, IA carries the lighter load at $1,391 per resident versus $2,050 for West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, IA at $1,257.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Cedar Rapids, IA and 48% in West Des Moines, IA.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 62.2% more per capita than West Des Moines ($9,194/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $8 | $24 |
| Sales Tax | $2,450 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $1,513 | $355 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,898 | $16,920 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,261 | $2,669 |
| Other | $4,807 | $3,239 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $466 | $240 |
| Highways & Roads | $102 | $49 |
| Education | $0 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $1,987 | $1,500 |
| Health | $567 | $615 |
| Hospitals | $612 | $290 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $1,257 |
| Housing | $4,126 | $2,213 |
| Sewerage | $314 | $194 |
| Utilities | $4,004 | $669 |
| Interest on Debt | $737 | $0 |
| Other | $9,894 | $7,750 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.