Waterloo, IA vs West Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterloo, IA spends 20% more per resident than West Des Moines, IA: $17,802 against $14,779. 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 West Des Moines, 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 $2,050 for West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, IA at $1,257.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Waterloo, IA at 17% of total revenue, whereas West Des Moines, IA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 48%.
Summary
Waterloo spends 20.5% more per capita than West Des Moines ($3,023/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 | $24 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $920 | $355 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,021 | $16,920 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,614 | $2,669 |
| Other | $3,969 | $3,239 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $223 | $240 |
| Highways & Roads | $108 | $49 |
| Education | $10 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $2,637 | $1,500 |
| Health | $431 | $615 |
| Hospitals | $1,864 | $290 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,325 | $1,257 |
| Housing | $3,169 | $2,213 |
| Sewerage | $205 | $194 |
| Utilities | $1,874 | $669 |
| Other | $5,957 | $7,750 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.