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

Des Moines, IA

Population: 213,164 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
55/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$277.4M
Per Capita
$1,302
Total Revenue
$0
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
42.1%$116.7M
Public Welfare
29.8%$82.8M
Housing & Community Development
12.6%$35.0M
Police
10.3%$28.5M
Fire Protection
4.2%$11.7M
Health
0.6%$1.6M
Highways & Roads
0.2%$652K
Education
0.1%$292K
Interest on Debt
0.1%$272K

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.

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$134/person
Fire Protection$55/person
Highways & Roads$3/person
Education$1/person
Health$8/person

Score Breakdown

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

Compare Cities

See how Des Moines stacks up against another city.

vs Cedar Rapids, IAvs Davenport, IAvs Sioux City, 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

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

Iowa City, IA

Pop. 75K

C
Total Spending
$1.2B
Per Capita
$16,449

Compare Des Moines With

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

Iowa City, IA

Spending: $16,449/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Des Moines, IA spends $1,302 per resident, based on total expenditures of $277.4M for a population of 213,164. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100).

Des Moines, IA has total expenditures of $277.4M and total revenue of $0. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Des Moines, 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.

Des Moines, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (55/100). 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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