West Des Moines, IA vs Council Bluffs, IA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Council Bluffs, IA spends 20% more per resident than West Des Moines, IA: $17,662 against $14,779. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
West Des Moines, IA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 43/100 (grade D) for Council Bluffs, IA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Council Bluffs, IA carries the lighter load at $994 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 Council Bluffs, IA at $1,587.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in West Des Moines, IA at 48% of total revenue, whereas Council Bluffs, IA relies most on other revenue at 24%.
Summary
Council Bluffs spends 16.3% more per capita than West Des Moines ($2,883/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $677 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $355 | $1,036 |
| Intergovernmental | $16,920 | $383 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,669 | $2,374 |
| Other | $3,239 | $3,427 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $240 | $850 |
| Highways & Roads | $49 | $373 |
| Education | $3 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $1,494 |
| Health | $615 | $562 |
| Hospitals | $290 | $138 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,257 | $1,587 |
| Housing | $2,213 | $3,385 |
| Sewerage | $194 | $181 |
| Utilities | $669 | $3,119 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $278 |
| Other | $7,750 | $5,695 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.