Waterloo, IA vs Sioux City, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA and Sioux City, IA spend within 14.3% of each other per resident — $17,802 versus $15,576 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Sioux City, IA edges Waterloo, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 71/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Sioux City, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterloo, IA carries $605 per resident. 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 Sioux City, IA at $1,182.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 17% of total revenue in Waterloo, IA and 26% in Sioux City, IA.
Summary
Waterloo spends 14.3% more per capita than Sioux City ($2,226/person difference). Sioux City, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $59 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $237 |
| Income Tax | $920 | $681 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,021 | $2,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,614 | $2,603 |
| Other | $3,969 | $8,608 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $223 | $19 |
| Highways & Roads | $108 | $76 |
| Education | $10 | $61 |
| Public Welfare | $2,637 | $1,359 |
| Health | $431 | $413 |
| Hospitals | $1,864 | $1,296 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,325 | $1,182 |
| Housing | $3,169 | $2,881 |
| Sewerage | $205 | $285 |
| Utilities | $1,874 | $3,339 |
| Other | $5,957 | $4,665 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.