Columbia, MO vs St. Peters, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbia, MO spends 20% more per resident than St. Peters, MO: $13,757 against $11,485. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Columbia, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 59/100 (grade C) for St. Peters, MO — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, St. Peters, MO carries the lighter load at $71 per resident versus $175 for Columbia, MO. 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. Peters, MO at $2,314.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Columbia, MO and 100% in St. Peters, MO.
Summary
Columbia spends 19.8% more per capita than St. Peters ($2,273/person difference). Columbia, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $668 | $1,412 |
| Income Tax | $2,110 | $2,724 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,577 | $9,257 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,293 | $1,242 |
| Other | $2,632 | $1,181 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $355 | $783 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $167 |
| Public Welfare | $901 | $2,051 |
| Hospitals | $77 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,099 | $2,314 |
| Housing | $1,692 | $2,637 |
| Utilities | $3,124 | $2,793 |
| Interest on Debt | $419 | $0 |
| Other | $6,091 | $739 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.