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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Independence, MO vs Columbia, MO

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Columbia spends 40.6% more per capita than Independence ($5,582/person difference). Independence, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Independence, MO
Pop. 122,218
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Columbia, MO
Pop. 126,172
B
71/100
Budget Balance66
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency98
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Independence
Columbia
Total Spending
$999.2M
$1.7B
Spending / Capita
$8,176
$13,757
Total Revenue
$4.7B
$3.0B
Revenue / Capita
$38,346
$23,577
Total Debt
$0
$22.0M
Debt / Capita
$0
$175
Population
122,218
126,172
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Independence$39
Columbia$355
Parks & Recreation
Independence$611
Columbia$1,099

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

IndependenceColumbia
Property Tax
$1
$0
Sales Tax
$480
$668
Income Tax
$0
$2,110
Intergovernmental
$38,346
$23,577
Charges & Fees
$2,807
$2,293
Other
$3,970
$2,632

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

IndependenceColumbia
Fire Protection
$39
$355
Public Welfare
$345
$901
Hospitals
$406
$77
Parks & Recreation
$611
$1,099
Housing
$2,769
$1,692
Utilities
$1,599
$3,124
Interest on Debt
$0
$419
Other
$2,407
$6,091
A
Independence, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Columbia, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 71/100
Good fiscal health

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