Waterloo, IA vs Cedar Rapids, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cedar Rapids, IA spends 35% more per resident than Waterloo, IA: $23,973 against $17,802. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Waterloo, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Cedar Rapids, IA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Waterloo, IA carries the lighter load at $605 per resident versus $1,391 for Cedar Rapids, 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 Cedar Rapids, IA at $1,165.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Waterloo, IA at 17% of total revenue, whereas Cedar Rapids, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Cedar Rapids spends 25.7% more per capita than Waterloo ($6,171/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 | $8 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $2,450 |
| Income Tax | $920 | $1,513 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,021 | $5,898 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,614 | $3,261 |
| Other | $3,969 | $4,807 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $223 | $466 |
| Highways & Roads | $108 | $102 |
| Education | $10 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,637 | $1,987 |
| Health | $431 | $567 |
| Hospitals | $1,864 | $612 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,325 | $1,165 |
| Housing | $3,169 | $4,126 |
| Sewerage | $205 | $314 |
| Utilities | $1,874 | $4,004 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $737 |
| Other | $5,957 | $9,894 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.