Davenport, IA vs Sioux City, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sioux City, IA and Davenport, IA spend within 9.4% of each other per resident — $15,576 versus $14,236 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Davenport, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Sioux City, IA — a 15-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Davenport, IA at $895 per resident and in Sioux City, IA at $1,182.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Davenport, IA at 14% of total revenue, whereas Sioux City, IA relies most on other revenue at 26%.
Summary
Sioux City spends 8.6% more per capita than Davenport ($1,341/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 | $237 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $681 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,345 | $2,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,603 |
| Other | $3,330 | $8,608 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $275 | $19 |
| Highways & Roads | $212 | $76 |
| Education | $0 | $61 |
| Public Welfare | $1,818 | $1,359 |
| Health | $598 | $413 |
| Hospitals | $924 | $1,296 |
| Parks & Recreation | $895 | $1,182 |
| Housing | $2,838 | $2,881 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $285 |
| Utilities | $566 | $3,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $733 | $0 |
| Other | $5,376 | $4,665 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.