St. Peters, MO vs St. Joseph, 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. Peters, MO at $2,314 per resident and in St. Joseph, MO at $1,000.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in St. Peters, MO and 100% in St. Joseph, MO.
Summary
St. Peters spends 6.6% 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 | $0 | $30 |
| Sales Tax | $1,412 | $365 |
| Income Tax | $2,724 | $876 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,257 | $14,823 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,242 | $0 |
| Other | $1,181 | $5,785 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $783 | $489 |
| Highways & Roads | $167 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,051 | $1,015 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $288 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,314 | $1,000 |
| Housing | $2,637 | $2,681 |
| Utilities | $2,793 | $416 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $804 |
| Other | $739 | $4,079 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.