Des Moines, IA vs Ankeny, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Ankeny, IA outspends Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $9,971 versus $1,302, a 666% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Ankeny, IA edges Des Moines, IA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Des Moines, IA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Ankeny, IA carries $1,314 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Des Moines, IA leads with police at $134 per resident, while Ankeny, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,069.
Summary
Ankeny spends 86.9% more per capita than Des Moines ($8,669/person difference). Ankeny, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $8 | $527 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $3,337 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,633 |
| Other | $38 | $3,353 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $134 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $55 | $146 |
| Highways & Roads | $3 | $10 |
| Education | $1 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $388 | $957 |
| Health | $8 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $4 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,069 |
| Housing | $164 | $2,088 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $313 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,853 |
| Interest on Debt | $1 | $0 |
| Other | $547 | $3,151 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.