Columbia, MO vs St. Joseph, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbia, MO spends 28% more per resident than St. Joseph, MO: $13,757 against $10,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
St. Joseph, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 71/100 (grade B) for Columbia, MO — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
St. Joseph, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, MO carries $175 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbia, MO at $1,099 per resident and in St. Joseph, MO at $1,000.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Columbia, MO and 100% in St. Joseph, MO.
Summary
Columbia spends 27.7% more per capita than St. Joseph ($2,985/person difference). St. Joseph, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $30 |
| Sales Tax | $668 | $365 |
| Income Tax | $2,110 | $876 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,577 | $14,823 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,293 | $0 |
| Other | $2,632 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $355 | $489 |
| Public Welfare | $901 | $1,015 |
| Hospitals | $77 | $288 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,099 | $1,000 |
| Housing | $1,692 | $2,681 |
| Utilities | $3,124 | $416 |
| Interest on Debt | $419 | $804 |
| Other | $6,091 | $4,079 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.