Waterloo, IA vs Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $17,802 versus $1,302, a 1268% 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 55/100 (grade C) for Des Moines, IA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Des Moines, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterloo, IA carries $605 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Waterloo, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,325 per resident, while Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134.
Summary
Waterloo spends 1267.8% more per capita than Des Moines ($16,501/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 | $8 |
| Income Tax | $920 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,021 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,614 | $0 |
| Other | $3,969 | $38 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $134 |
| Fire Protection | $223 | $55 |
| Highways & Roads | $108 | $3 |
| Education | $10 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $2,637 | $388 |
| Health | $431 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $1,864 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,325 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,169 | $164 |
| Sewerage | $205 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,874 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1 |
| Other | $5,957 | $547 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.