Council Bluffs, IA vs Cedar Rapids, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA spends 36% more per resident than Council Bluffs, IA: $23,973 against $17,662. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Cedar Rapids, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 43/100 (grade D) for Council Bluffs, IA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Council Bluffs, IA carries the lighter load at $994 per resident versus $1,391 for Cedar Rapids, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Council Bluffs, IA at $1,587 per resident and in Cedar Rapids, IA at $1,165.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Council Bluffs, IA at 24% of total revenue, whereas Cedar Rapids, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 26.3% more per capita than Council Bluffs ($6,311/person difference). Cedar Rapids, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $2,450 |
| Income Tax | $1,036 | $1,513 |
| Intergovernmental | $383 | $5,898 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,374 | $3,261 |
| Other | $3,427 | $4,807 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $850 | $466 |
| Highways & Roads | $373 | $102 |
| Public Welfare | $1,494 | $1,987 |
| Health | $562 | $567 |
| Hospitals | $138 | $612 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,587 | $1,165 |
| Housing | $3,385 | $4,126 |
| Sewerage | $181 | $314 |
| Utilities | $3,119 | $4,004 |
| Interest on Debt | $278 | $737 |
| Other | $5,695 | $9,894 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.