Iowa City, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Iowa City, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $16,449 versus $1,302, a 1164% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Iowa City, IA edges Des Moines, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 62/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Des Moines, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Iowa City, IA carries $183 per resident. 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 Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134.
Summary
Iowa City spends 1163.8% more per capita than Des Moines ($15,148/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $833 | $8 |
| Income Tax | $1,549 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,216 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,499 | $0 |
| Other | $2,188 | $38 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $461 | $55 |
| Highways & Roads | $112 | $3 |
| Education | $57 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $1,285 | $388 |
| Health | $965 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $2,408 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,165 | $0 |
| Housing | $1,963 | $164 |
| Sewerage | $270 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,351 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,144 | $1 |
| Other | $4,268 | $547 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.