Council Bluffs, IA vs Ames, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Ames spends 60.7% more per capita than Council Bluffs ($27,253/person difference). Council Bluffs, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 43/100).
Fiscal Health Score
D
43/100
Budget Balance13
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency66
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
F
34/100
Budget Balance6
Debt Burden13
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Council Bluffs
Ames
Total Spending
$1.1B
$3.0B
Spending / Capita
$17,662
$44,915
Total Revenue
$883.7M
$2.1B
Revenue / Capita
$14,100
$32,201
Total Debt
$62.3M
$45.1M
Debt / Capita
$994
$680
Population
62,670
66,265
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Fire Protection
Council Bluffs$850
Ames$155
Highways & Roads
Council Bluffs$373
Ames$61
Parks & Recreation
Council Bluffs$1,587
Ames$648
Education
Council Bluffs$0
Ames$41
Health
Council Bluffs$562
Ames$765
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
Council BluffsAmes
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $413 |
| Income Tax | $1,036 | $648 |
| Intergovernmental | $383 | $3,359 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,374 | $1,979 |
| Other | $3,427 | $2,187 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
Council BluffsAmes
| Fire Protection | $850 | $155 |
| Highways & Roads | $373 | $61 |
| Education | $0 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $1,494 | $3,950 |
| Health | $562 | $765 |
| Hospitals | $138 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,587 | $648 |
| Housing | $3,385 | $1,535 |
| Sewerage | $181 | $268 |
| Utilities | $3,119 | $2,103 |
| Interest on Debt | $278 | $1,924 |
| General Admin | $0 | $30,834 |
| Other | $5,695 | $2,548 |
D
Council Bluffs, IA
Fiscal Health Score: 43/100
Below average fiscal health
F
Ames, IA
Fiscal Health Score: 34/100
Critical fiscal distress