St. Joseph, MO vs St. Peters, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
St. Peters, MO and St. Joseph, MO spend within 6.6% of each other per resident — $11,485 versus $10,772 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
St. Joseph, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 59/100 (grade C) for St. Peters, MO — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
St. Joseph, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while St. Peters, MO carries $71 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in St. Joseph, MO at $1,000 per resident and in St. Peters, MO at $2,314.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in St. Joseph, MO and 100% in St. Peters, MO.
Summary
St. Peters spends 6.2% more per capita than St. Joseph ($712/person difference). St. Joseph, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $30 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $365 | $1,412 |
| Income Tax | $876 | $2,724 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,823 | $9,257 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,242 |
| Other | $5,785 | $1,181 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $489 | $783 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $167 |
| Public Welfare | $1,015 | $2,051 |
| Hospitals | $288 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,000 | $2,314 |
| Housing | $2,681 | $2,637 |
| Utilities | $416 | $2,793 |
| Interest on Debt | $804 | $0 |
| Other | $4,079 | $739 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.