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

Independence, MO vs St. Joseph, MO

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

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

City A
Independence, MO
Pop. 122,218
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
St. Joseph, MO
Pop. 72,198
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Independence
St. Joseph
Total Spending
$999.2M
$777.7M
Spending / Capita
$8,176
$10,772
Total Revenue
$4.7B
$1.1B
Revenue / Capita
$38,346
$14,823
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
122,218
72,198
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Independence$39
St. Joseph$489
Parks & Recreation
Independence$611
St. Joseph$1,000

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

IndependenceSt. Joseph
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)

IndependenceSt. Joseph
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
A
Independence, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
St. Joseph, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health

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