West Des Moines, IA vs Ankeny, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
West Des Moines, IA spends 48% more per resident than Ankeny, IA: $14,779 against $9,971. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Ankeny, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for West Des Moines, IA — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Ankeny, IA carries the lighter load at $1,314 per resident versus $2,050 for West Des Moines, IA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in West Des Moines, IA at $1,257 per resident and in Ankeny, IA at $1,069.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in West Des Moines, IA at 48% of total revenue, whereas Ankeny, IA relies most on other revenue at 18%.
Summary
West Des Moines spends 48.2% more per capita than Ankeny ($4,809/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)
| Property Tax | $24 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $527 |
| Income Tax | $355 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $16,920 | $3,337 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,669 | $2,633 |
| Other | $3,239 | $3,353 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $240 | $146 |
| Highways & Roads | $49 | $10 |
| Education | $3 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $957 |
| Health | $615 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $290 | $4 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $1,069 |
| Housing | $2,213 | $2,088 |
| Sewerage | $194 | $313 |
| Utilities | $669 | $1,853 |
| Other | $7,750 | $3,151 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.