Waterloo, IA vs Ankeny, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA outspends Ankeny, IA by a wide margin per resident — $17,802 versus $9,971, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Waterloo, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Ankeny, IA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Waterloo, IA carries the lighter load at $605 per resident versus $1,314 for Ankeny, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Waterloo, IA at $1,325 per resident and in Ankeny, IA at $1,069.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Waterloo, IA and 18% in Ankeny, IA.
Summary
Waterloo spends 78.5% more per capita than Ankeny ($7,832/person difference). Waterloo, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $59 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $527 |
| Income Tax | $920 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,021 | $3,337 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,614 | $2,633 |
| Other | $3,969 | $3,353 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $223 | $146 |
| Highways & Roads | $108 | $10 |
| Education | $10 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,637 | $957 |
| Health | $431 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $1,864 | $4 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,325 | $1,069 |
| Housing | $3,169 | $2,088 |
| Sewerage | $205 | $313 |
| Utilities | $1,874 | $1,853 |
| Other | $5,957 | $3,151 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.