Springfield, MO vs St. Louis, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Louis, MO and Springfield, MO spend within 14.2% of each other per resident — $17,927 versus $15,703 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Springfield, MO edges St. Louis, MO on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 82/100 (grade A) to 75/100 (grade B). 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. Louis, MO at $1,053.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Springfield, MO at 11% of total revenue, whereas St. Louis, MO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 39%.
Summary
St. Louis spends 12.4% more per capita than Springfield ($2,224/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 | $58 |
| Sales Tax | $827 | $192 |
| Income Tax | $822 | $50 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,035 | $5,609 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,451 | $120 |
| Other | $4,051 | $4,382 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $68 | $677 |
| Highways & Roads | $487 | $772 |
| Education | $1,123 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $932 | $1,793 |
| Hospitals | $311 | $445 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,552 | $1,053 |
| Housing | $2,768 | $5,667 |
| Sewerage | $206 | $436 |
| Utilities | $2,850 | $2,457 |
| Interest on Debt | $805 | $0 |
| Other | $3,601 | $4,627 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.