Independence, MO vs St. Charles, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Charles, MO outspends Independence, MO by a wide margin per resident — $20,461 versus $8,176, a 150% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Independence, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for St. Charles, MO — a 27-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: Independence, MO leads with parks and recreation at $611 per resident, while St. Charles, MO leads with police at $2,304.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Independence, MO and 100% in St. Charles, MO.
Summary
St. Charles spends 60.0% more per capita than Independence ($12,286/person difference). Independence, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $480 | $1,291 |
| Intergovernmental | $38,346 | $6,270 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,807 | $0 |
| Other | $3,970 | $2,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,304 |
| Fire Protection | $39 | $1,251 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $614 |
| Public Welfare | $345 | $4,187 |
| Hospitals | $406 | $1,602 |
| Parks & Recreation | $611 | $1,210 |
| Housing | $2,769 | $5,745 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $197 |
| Utilities | $1,599 | $254 |
| Other | $2,407 | $3,097 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.