Davenport, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Davenport, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $14,236 versus $1,302, a 994% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Davenport, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 55/100 (grade C) for Des Moines, IA — a 35-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Davenport, IA leads with parks and recreation at $895 per resident, while Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134.
Summary
Davenport spends 993.8% more per capita than Des Moines ($12,934/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 | $4 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $966 | $8 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,345 | $0 |
| Other | $3,330 | $38 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $275 | $55 |
| Highways & Roads | $212 | $3 |
| Education | $0 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $1,818 | $388 |
| Health | $598 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $924 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $895 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,838 | $164 |
| Utilities | $566 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $733 | $1 |
| Other | $5,376 | $547 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.