Iowa City, IA vs Cedar Rapids, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA spends 46% more per resident than Iowa City, IA: $23,973 against $16,449. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Iowa City, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 62/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for Cedar Rapids, IA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Iowa City, IA carries the lighter load at $183 per resident versus $1,391 for Cedar Rapids, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Iowa City, IA at $1,165 per resident and in Cedar Rapids, IA at $1,165.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Iowa City, IA at 22% of total revenue, whereas Cedar Rapids, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 31.4% more per capita than Iowa City ($7,524/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 | $8 |
| Sales Tax | $833 | $2,450 |
| Income Tax | $1,549 | $1,513 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,216 | $5,898 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,499 | $3,261 |
| Other | $2,188 | $4,807 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $461 | $466 |
| Highways & Roads | $112 | $102 |
| Education | $57 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,285 | $1,987 |
| Health | $965 | $567 |
| Hospitals | $2,408 | $612 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $1,165 |
| Housing | $1,963 | $4,126 |
| Sewerage | $270 | $314 |
| Utilities | $2,351 | $4,004 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,144 | $737 |
| Other | $4,268 | $9,894 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.