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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Ames, IA

Population: 66,265 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

F
34/100

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$44,915
Total Revenue
$2.1B
Total Debt
$45.1M

Spending Breakdown

General Administration
68.7%$2.0B
Public Welfare
8.8%$261.8M
Other
5.7%$168.9M
Utilities
4.7%$139.3M
Interest on Debt
4.3%$127.5M
Housing & Community Development
3.4%$101.7M
Health
1.7%$50.7M
Parks & Recreation
1.4%$43.0M
Sewerage
0.6%$17.8M
Fire Protection
0.3%$10.3M
Hospitals
0.2%$5.5M
Highways & Roads
0.1%$4.1M
Education
0.1%$2.7M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$332K
Sales Tax
1.3%$27.4M
Income Tax
2.0%$42.9M
Intergovernmental
10.4%$222.6M
Charges & Fees
6.1%$131.1M
Other
6.8%$144.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$155/person
Highways & Roads$61/person
Parks & Recreation$648/person
Education$41/person
Health$765/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)6/100
Debt Burden (20%)13/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$45.1M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$680
Cash & Securities$9.9M

Compare Cities

See how Ames stacks up against another city.

vs Des Moines, IAvs Cedar Rapids, IAvs Davenport, IA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Iowa

Des Moines, IA

Pop. 213K

C
Total Spending
$277.4M
Per Capita
$1,302

Cedar Rapids, IA

Pop. 137K

C
Total Spending
$3.3B
Per Capita
$23,973

Davenport, IA

Pop. 101K

A
Total Spending
$1.4B
Per Capita
$14,236

Sioux City, IA

Pop. 85K

B
Total Spending
$1.3B
Per Capita
$15,576

Compare Ames With

Des Moines, IA

Spending: $1,302/person · Grade: C

Cedar Rapids, IA

Spending: $23,973/person · Grade: C

Davenport, IA

Spending: $14,236/person · Grade: A

Sioux City, IA

Spending: $15,576/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA spends $44,915 per resident, based on total expenditures of $3.0B for a population of 66,265. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100).

Ames, IA has total expenditures of $3.0B and total revenue of $2.1B. The city carries $45.1M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Ames, IA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Ames, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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