Sioux City, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Sioux City, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $15,576 versus $1,302, a 1097% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sioux City, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Des Moines, IA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sioux City, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,182 per resident, while Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134.
Summary
Sioux City spends 1096.8% more per capita than Des Moines ($14,275/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)
| Sales Tax | $237 | $8 |
| Income Tax | $681 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,787 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,603 | $0 |
| Other | $8,608 | $38 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $19 | $55 |
| Highways & Roads | $76 | $3 |
| Education | $61 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $1,359 | $388 |
| Health | $413 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $1,296 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,182 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,881 | $164 |
| Sewerage | $285 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,339 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1 |
| Other | $4,665 | $547 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.