Iowa City, IA vs Ames, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Ames, IA outspends Iowa City, IA by a wide margin per resident — $44,915 versus $16,449, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Iowa City, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 62/100 (grade C) against 34/100 (grade F) for Ames, IA — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Iowa City, IA carries the lighter load at $183 per resident versus $680 for Ames, IA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Iowa City, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,165 per resident, while Ames, IA leads with health at $765.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Iowa City, IA at 22% of total revenue, whereas Ames, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Ames spends 63.4% more per capita than Iowa City ($28,466/person difference). Iowa City, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $14 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $833 | $413 |
| Income Tax | $1,549 | $648 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,216 | $3,359 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,499 | $1,979 |
| Other | $2,188 | $2,187 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $461 | $155 |
| Highways & Roads | $112 | $61 |
| Education | $57 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $1,285 | $3,950 |
| Health | $965 | $765 |
| Hospitals | $2,408 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $648 |
| Housing | $1,963 | $1,535 |
| Sewerage | $270 | $268 |
| Utilities | $2,351 | $2,103 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,144 | $1,924 |
| General Admin | $0 | $30,834 |
| Other | $4,268 | $2,548 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.