Davenport, IA vs West Des Moines, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
West Des Moines, IA and Davenport, IA spend within 3.8% of each other per resident — $14,779 versus $14,236 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Davenport, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for West Des Moines, IA — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Davenport, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while West Des Moines, IA carries $2,050 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Davenport, IA at $895 per resident and in West Des Moines, IA at $1,257.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Davenport, IA and 48% in West Des Moines, IA.
Summary
West Des Moines spends 3.7% more per capita than Davenport ($544/person difference). Davenport, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $4 | $24 |
| Sales Tax | $966 | $677 |
| Income Tax | $715 | $355 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,345 | $16,920 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,669 |
| Other | $3,330 | $3,239 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $275 | $240 |
| Highways & Roads | $212 | $49 |
| Education | $0 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $1,818 | $1,500 |
| Health | $598 | $615 |
| Hospitals | $924 | $290 |
| Parks & Recreation | $895 | $1,257 |
| Housing | $2,838 | $2,213 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $194 |
| Utilities | $566 | $669 |
| Interest on Debt | $733 | $0 |
| Other | $5,376 | $7,750 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.