Des Moines, IA vs Waterloo, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $17,802 versus $1,302, a 1268% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Waterloo, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Des Moines, IA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Des Moines, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterloo, IA carries $605 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134 per resident, while Waterloo, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,325.
Summary
Waterloo spends 92.7% more per capita than Des Moines ($16,501/person difference). Waterloo, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $59 |
| Sales Tax | $8 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $920 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $2,021 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,614 |
| Other | $38 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $134 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $55 | $223 |
| Highways & Roads | $3 | $108 |
| Education | $1 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $388 | $2,637 |
| Health | $8 | $431 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,864 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,325 |
| Housing | $164 | $3,169 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $205 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,874 |
| Interest on Debt | $1 | $0 |
| Other | $547 | $5,957 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.