Peoria, IL vs Joliet, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Joliet, IL outspends Peoria, IL by a wide margin per resident — $18,675 versus $7,629, a 145% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Peoria, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 40/100 (grade D) for Joliet, IL — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Peoria, IL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Joliet, IL carries $4,260 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Peoria, IL leads with police at $1,088 per resident, while Joliet, IL leads with parks and recreation at $459.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Peoria, IL and 92% in Joliet, IL.
Summary
Joliet spends 59.1% more per capita than Peoria ($11,046/person difference). Peoria, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $20 | $323 |
| Income Tax | $18 | $1,006 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,954 | $12,066 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,156 |
| Other | $1,543 | $3,429 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,088 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $129 | $208 |
| Highways & Roads | $200 | $165 |
| Public Welfare | $1,314 | $2,118 |
| Health | $0 | $450 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $485 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $459 |
| Housing | $787 | $3,292 |
| Sewerage | $64 | $94 |
| Utilities | $171 | $3,400 |
| Other | $3,876 | $8,005 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.