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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

St. Joseph, MO vs Independence, MO

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

St. Joseph spends 31.8% more per capita than Independence ($2,597/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
St. Joseph, MO
Pop. 72,198
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Independence, MO
Pop. 122,218
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
St. Joseph
Independence
Total Spending
$777.7M
$999.2M
Spending / Capita
$10,772
$8,176
Total Revenue
$1.1B
$4.7B
Revenue / Capita
$14,823
$38,346
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
72,198
122,218
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
St. Joseph$489
Independence$39
Parks & Recreation
St. Joseph$1,000
Independence$611

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

St. JosephIndependence
Property Tax
$30
$1
Sales Tax
$365
$480
Income Tax
$876
$0
Intergovernmental
$14,823
$38,346
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,807
Other
$5,785
$3,970

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

St. JosephIndependence
Fire Protection
$489
$39
Public Welfare
$1,015
$345
Hospitals
$288
$406
Parks & Recreation
$1,000
$611
Housing
$2,681
$2,769
Utilities
$416
$1,599
Interest on Debt
$804
$0
Other
$4,079
$2,407
A
St. Joseph, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Independence, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health

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