West Des Moines, IA vs Waterloo, 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 West Des Moines, IA at $1,257 per resident and in Waterloo, IA at $1,325.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in West Des Moines, IA at 48% of total revenue, whereas Waterloo, IA relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Waterloo spends 17.0% 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 | $24 | $59 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $355 | $920 |
| Intergovernmental | $16,920 | $2,021 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,669 | $1,614 |
| Other | $3,239 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $240 | $223 |
| Highways & Roads | $49 | $108 |
| Education | $3 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $2,637 |
| Health | $615 | $431 |
| Hospitals | $290 | $1,864 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $1,325 |
| Housing | $2,213 | $3,169 |
| Sewerage | $194 | $205 |
| Utilities | $669 | $1,874 |
| Other | $7,750 | $5,957 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.