<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 10/31/2000
000 C000000 5152475476
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PRINCIPAL BALANCED FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-05072
001 C000000 5152475476
002 A000000 PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP
002 B000000 DES MOINES
002 C000000 IA
002 D010000 50392
002 D020000 0200
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 50
019 C000000 PRINCORGRP
020 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000001 13-2501865
020 C000001 35
020 A000002 BERNSTEIN, SANFORD C.
020 B000002 13-2625074
020 C000002 10
020 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
020 B000003 13-5674085
020 C000003 7
020 A000004 FIRST BOSTON CORP.
020 B000004 13-5659485
020 C000004 6
020 A000005 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
020 B000005 13-3299429
020 C000005 5
020 A000006 JEFFRIES & COMPANY
020 B000006 95-2622900
020 C000006 5
020 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY, DEAN WITTER, DISCOVER
020 B000007 13-2655998
020 C000007 4
020 A000008 MORGAN, J.P. SECURITIES
020 B000008 13-3224016
020 C000008 4
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 A000009 SALOMON BROTHERS, SMITH BARNEY
020 B000009 13-3082694
020 C000009 3
020 A000010 SG WARBURG AND CO.
020 B000010 13-3340045
020 C000010 2
021 000000 105
022 A000001 ASSOCIATES FIRST CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000001 39-0210110
022 C000001 595175
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 ASSOCIATES CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
022 B000002 74-1494554
022 C000002 592336
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO.
022 B000003 38-1612444
022 C000003 28147
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 GOLDMAN SACHS CO.
022 B000004 13-5108880
022 C000004 4689
022 D000004 4846
022 A000005 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
022 B000005 13-3299429
022 C000005 7726
022 D000005 1702
022 A000006 SALOMON BROTHERS, SMITH BARNEY
022 B000006 13-3082694
022 C000006 7350
022 D000006 702
022 A000007 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000007 13-2501865
022 C000007 3731
022 D000007 2998
022 A000008 HOUSEHOLD FINANCE CORP.
022 B000008 36-1239445
022 C000008 6420
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
022 B000009 13-5674085
022 C000009 1889
022 D000009 4293
022 A000010 MORGAN STANLEY, DEAN WITTER, DISCOVER
022 B000010 13-2655998
022 C000010 2561
022 D000010 2913
023 C000000 1261924
023 D000000 29183
024 000000 N
027 000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 3
028 A010000 1645
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 2700
028 B010000 1898
028 B020000 609
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 2806
028 C010000 1926
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 3096
028 D010000 2337
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 3309
028 E010000 1493
028 E020000 581
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 2805
028 F010000 2528
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 3199
028 G010000 11827
028 G020000 1190
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 17915
028 H000000 3541
029 000000 Y
030 A000000 323
030 B000000 4.75
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 92
031 B000000 0
032 000000 35
033 000000 196
034 000000 Y
035 000000 107
036 A000000 N
036 B000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 100
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 616
044 000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 Y
067 000000 Y
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 5
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 76783
071 B000000 93954
071 C000000 139916
071 D000000 55
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 3949
072 C000000 1305
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 856
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 648
072 J000000 11
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 6
072 N000000 57
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 8
072 S000000 -1
072 T000000 616
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 52
072 X000000 2253
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 3001
072AA000000 2042
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 2231
072DD010000 2337
<PAGE> PAGE 6
072DD020000 766
072EE000000 6768
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.6418
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 10
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 4358
074 D000000 45870
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 89786
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 351
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 707
074 M000000 4
074 N000000 141086
074 O000000 337
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 311
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 140438
074 U010000 6535
074 U020000 3172
074 V010000 0.00
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 26267
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 146805
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 2400
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 25
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 7
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE A S FILEAN
TITLE SR VICE PRESIDENT