Independence, MO vs St. Joseph, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Joseph, MO spends 32% more per resident than Independence, MO: $10,772 against $8,176. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Independence, MO and St. Joseph, MO both land at 80/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
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 Independence, MO at $611 per resident and in St. Joseph, MO at $1,000.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Independence, MO and 100% in St. Joseph, MO.
Summary
St. Joseph spends 24.1% more per capita than Independence ($2,597/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $30 |
| Sales Tax | $480 | $365 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $876 |
| Intergovernmental | $38,346 | $14,823 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,807 | $0 |
| Other | $3,970 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $39 | $489 |
| Public Welfare | $345 | $1,015 |
| Hospitals | $406 | $288 |
| Parks & Recreation | $611 | $1,000 |
| Housing | $2,769 | $2,681 |
| Utilities | $1,599 | $416 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $804 |
| Other | $2,407 | $4,079 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.