Springfield, MO vs St. Joseph, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MO spends 46% more per resident than St. Joseph, MO: $15,703 against $10,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Springfield, MO edges St. Joseph, MO on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 82/100 (grade A) to 80/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Springfield, MO at $2,552 per resident and in St. Joseph, MO at $1,000.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Springfield, MO at 11% of total revenue, whereas St. Joseph, MO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Springfield spends 45.8% more per capita than St. Joseph ($4,931/person difference). Springfield, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $30 |
| Sales Tax | $827 | $365 |
| Income Tax | $822 | $876 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,035 | $14,823 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,451 | $0 |
| Other | $4,051 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $68 | $489 |
| Highways & Roads | $487 | $0 |
| Education | $1,123 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $932 | $1,015 |
| Hospitals | $311 | $288 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,552 | $1,000 |
| Housing | $2,768 | $2,681 |
| Sewerage | $206 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,850 | $416 |
| Interest on Debt | $805 | $804 |
| Other | $3,601 | $4,079 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.