Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School · Photo: Larry Day, Photographer · Public domainDes Moines spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Des Moines’ city government spent $502.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,379 per resident. Water and other utilities ($51.3 million) and the airport ($33.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Des Moines is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,165 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Des Moines’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,165 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 937 Iowa cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $964, and the middle half spent $693–$1,277. Des Moines spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($64.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Des Moines itself left out).
About $2,379 per resident a year, or $6.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Des Moines reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $2,165 · 2023: $2,244 · 2024: $2,379.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,949 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,496 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.80% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Des Moines’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Des Moines’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Des Moines →
Who’s in charge in Des Moines
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 104 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (211,034).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Des Moines Independent Community School District
Des Moines’ K–12 school district, shared with Windsor Heights. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,990 per pupil, $8,652 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
Carlisle Community School District · $11,860 per pupil
Southeast Polk Community School District · $13,373 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Des Moines voted in 2024
Official results for Des Moines’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.9%57,842 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.8%30,121 votesOthers: 1.3% (1,188 votes).
Most votes in Des Moines: Kamala D Harris
Polk County: Harris 54.8%, Trump 43.9% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Des Moines’ 148,943 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Des Moines, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Des Moines, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 64.9% | 33.8% | 1.3% | 89,151 |
| Polk County | 54.8% | 43.9% | 1.3% | 255,563 |
| Iowa | 42.5% | 55.7% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Des Moines sends 9 representatives to the Iowa House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Iowa HouseDes Moines is split between 9 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Des Moines compares with the towns next door
Des Moines spent $2,165 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $990 to $1,992. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Urbandale | $990 | $5,563 |
| Windsor Heights | $1,119 | $4,732 |
| Norwalk | $1,204 | $4,924 |
| West Des Moines | $1,386 | $4,711 |
| Pleasant Hill | $1,992 | $4,807 |
| Des Moines | $2,165 | $3,496 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Des Moines’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Des Moines’ government
How much does Des Moines spend per resident?
About $2,379 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,165 was more than 97% of 937 Iowa cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Des Moines?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,496 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Des Moines’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Des Moines yet.
How did Des Moines vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 64.9%, Donald J Trump 33.8% (89,151 votes, official results). Polk County: Harris 54.8%, Trump 43.9%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Des Moines?
2,030 full-time and 138 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $17.5M (about $209.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Des Moines in the state legislature?
Des Moines is split among 9 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Iowa Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Des Moines’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →