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

West Des Moines, IA

Population: 68,744 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
53/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$1.0B
Per Capita
$14,779
Total Revenue
$2.4B
Total Debt
$140.9M

Spending Breakdown

Other
52.4%$532.8M
Housing & Community Development
15.0%$152.1M
Public Welfare
10.1%$103.1M
Parks & Recreation
8.5%$86.4M
Utilities
4.5%$46.0M
Health
4.2%$42.3M
Hospitals
2.0%$19.9M
Fire Protection
1.6%$16.5M
Sewerage
1.3%$13.4M
Highways & Roads
0.3%$3.4M
Education
0.0%$172K

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
0.1%$1.7M
Sales Tax
1.9%$46.5M
Income Tax
1.0%$24.4M
Intergovernmental
47.8%$1.2B
Charges & Fees
7.5%$183.5M
Other
9.2%$222.7M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$240/person
Highways & Roads$49/person
Parks & Recreation$1,257/person
Education$3/person
Health$615/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)51/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)84/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)71/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$140.9M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$2,050
Cash & Securities$482K

Compare Cities

See how West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines 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

West Des Moines, IA spends $14,779 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.0B for a population of 68,744. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100).

West Des Moines, IA has total expenditures of $1.0B and total revenue of $2.4B. The city carries $140.9M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

West 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.

West Des Moines, IA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100). 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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