West Des Moines, IA vs Ames, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Ames, IA outspends West Des Moines, IA by a wide margin per resident — $44,915 versus $14,779, a 204% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
West Des Moines, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 34/100 (grade F) for Ames, IA — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Ames, IA carries the lighter load at $680 per resident versus $2,050 for West Des Moines, IA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: West Des Moines, IA leads with parks and recreation at $1,257 per resident, while Ames, IA leads with health at $765.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 48% of total revenue in West Des Moines, IA and 10% in Ames, IA.
Summary
Ames spends 67.1% more per capita than West Des Moines ($30,136/person difference). West Des Moines, IA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $24 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $413 |
| Income Tax | $355 | $648 |
| Intergovernmental | $16,920 | $3,359 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,669 | $1,979 |
| Other | $3,239 | $2,187 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $240 | $155 |
| Highways & Roads | $49 | $61 |
| Education | $3 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $3,950 |
| Health | $615 | $765 |
| Hospitals | $290 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $648 |
| Housing | $2,213 | $1,535 |
| Sewerage | $194 | $268 |
| Utilities | $669 | $2,103 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,924 |
| General Admin | $0 | $30,834 |
| Other | $7,750 | $2,548 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.