Council Bluffs, IA vs Davenport, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Council Bluffs, IA spends 24% more per resident than Davenport, IA: $17,662 against $14,236. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Davenport, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 43/100 (grade D) for Council Bluffs, IA — a 47-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Davenport, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Council Bluffs, IA carries $994 per resident. 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 Davenport, IA at $895.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Council Bluffs, IA at 24% of total revenue, whereas Davenport, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Council Bluffs spends 24.1% more per capita than Davenport ($3,426/person difference). Davenport, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $4 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $966 |
| Income Tax | $1,036 | $715 |
| Intergovernmental | $383 | $3,345 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,374 | $0 |
| Other | $3,427 | $3,330 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $850 | $275 |
| Highways & Roads | $373 | $212 |
| Public Welfare | $1,494 | $1,818 |
| Health | $562 | $598 |
| Hospitals | $138 | $924 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,587 | $895 |
| Housing | $3,385 | $2,838 |
| Sewerage | $181 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,119 | $566 |
| Interest on Debt | $278 | $733 |
| Other | $5,695 | $5,376 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.