Des Moines, IA vs Sioux City, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sioux City, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $15,576 versus $1,302, a 1097% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sioux City, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Des Moines, IA — a 20-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: Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134 per resident, while Sioux City, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,182.
Summary
Sioux City spends 91.6% more per capita than Des Moines ($14,275/person difference). Sioux City, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $8 | $237 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $681 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $2,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,603 |
| Other | $38 | $8,608 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $134 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $55 | $19 |
| Highways & Roads | $3 | $76 |
| Education | $1 | $61 |
| Public Welfare | $388 | $1,359 |
| Health | $8 | $413 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,296 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,182 |
| Housing | $164 | $2,881 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $285 |
| Utilities | $0 | $3,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $1 | $0 |
| Other | $547 | $4,665 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.