Joliet, IL vs Springfield, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Joliet, IL spends 18% more per resident than Springfield, IL: $18,675 against $15,771. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Springfield, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 40/100 (grade D) for Joliet, IL — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Springfield, IL carries the lighter load at $2,441 per resident versus $4,260 for Joliet, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Joliet, IL leads with parks and recreation at $459 per resident, while Springfield, IL leads with highways and roads at $1,079.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 92% of total revenue in Joliet, IL and 17% in Springfield, IL.
Summary
Joliet spends 18.4% more per capita than Springfield ($2,904/person difference). Springfield, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $323 | $26 |
| Income Tax | $1,006 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $12,066 | $18,701 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,156 | $2,314 |
| Other | $3,429 | $1,274 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $208 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $165 | $1,079 |
| Education | $0 | $106 |
| Public Welfare | $2,118 | $1,275 |
| Health | $450 | $388 |
| Hospitals | $485 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $459 | $325 |
| Housing | $3,292 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $94 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,400 | $1,570 |
| Other | $8,005 | $11,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.