Sioux City, IA vs Cedar Rapids, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA spends 54% more per resident than Sioux City, IA: $23,973 against $15,576. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Sioux City, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Cedar Rapids, IA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Sioux City, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Cedar Rapids, IA carries $1,391 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Sioux City, IA at $1,182 per resident and in Cedar Rapids, IA at $1,165.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Sioux City, IA at 26% of total revenue, whereas Cedar Rapids, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 35.0% more per capita than Sioux City ($8,397/person difference). Sioux City, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Sales Tax | $237 | $2,450 |
| Income Tax | $681 | $1,513 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,787 | $5,898 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,603 | $3,261 |
| Other | $8,608 | $4,807 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $19 | $466 |
| Highways & Roads | $76 | $102 |
| Education | $61 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,359 | $1,987 |
| Health | $413 | $567 |
| Hospitals | $1,296 | $612 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,182 | $1,165 |
| Housing | $2,881 | $4,126 |
| Sewerage | $285 | $314 |
| Utilities | $3,339 | $4,004 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $737 |
| Other | $4,665 | $9,894 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.