Chicago, IL vs Peoria, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Peoria, IL by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $7,629, a 353% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Peoria, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Peoria, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Peoria, IL leads with police at $1,088.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 37% in Peoria, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 352.9% more per capita than Peoria ($26,922/person difference). Peoria, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $20 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $18 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,954 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $1,543 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,088 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $129 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $200 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $1,314 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $0 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $787 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $64 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $171 |
| Other | $9,385 | $3,876 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.