Sioux City, IA vs Waterloo, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA and Sioux City, IA spend within 14.3% of each other per resident — $17,802 versus $15,576 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Sioux City, IA edges Waterloo, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 71/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Sioux City, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterloo, IA carries $605 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 Waterloo, IA at $1,325.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 26% of total revenue in Sioux City, IA and 17% in Waterloo, IA.
Summary
Waterloo spends 12.5% more per capita than Sioux City ($2,226/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 | $59 |
| Sales Tax | $237 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $681 | $920 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,787 | $2,021 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,603 | $1,614 |
| Other | $8,608 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $19 | $223 |
| Highways & Roads | $76 | $108 |
| Education | $61 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $1,359 | $2,637 |
| Health | $413 | $431 |
| Hospitals | $1,296 | $1,864 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,182 | $1,325 |
| Housing | $2,881 | $3,169 |
| Sewerage | $285 | $205 |
| Utilities | $3,339 | $1,874 |
| Other | $4,665 | $5,957 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.