Photo: Dennis Bratland · CC BY-SA 4.0Urbandale spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Urbandale’s city government spent $51.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,113 per resident. Water and other utilities ($23.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Urbandale is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$990 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them
Urbandale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($990 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,463, and the middle half spent $1,179–$1,768. Urbandale spent less than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.2 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 of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Urbandale itself left out).
About $1,113 per resident a year, or $3.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Urbandale 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: $990 · 2023: $1,068 · 2024: $1,113. Per resident it went from $990 to $1,113 (up 12%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 44,650 to 46,648.
full-time in March 2025, up from 235 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 $5,563 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% 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 Urbandale’s 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 Urbandale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Urbandale →
Who’s in charge in Urbandale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Urbandale’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on urbandale.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 184 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 (46,648).
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.
Urbandale Community School District
Urbandale’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,490 per pupil, $7,866 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.
Waukee Community School District · $12,482 per pupil
Johnston Community School District · $12,934 per pupil
West Des Moines Community School District · $14,690 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Urbandale voted in 2024
Official results for Urbandale’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.9%14,367 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.9%12,990 votesOthers: 1.2% (341 votes).
Most votes in Urbandale: Kamala D Harris
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Urbandale’s 33,278 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Zach Nunn
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Urbandale, the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urbandale | 51.9% | 46.9% | 1.2% | 27,698 |
| Iowa | 42.5% | 55.7% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
Urbandale is two counties, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
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
Every level of government that speaks for Urbandale.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: urbandale.org ↗
- 2Iowa HouseUrbandale is split between 3 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Urbandale compares with the towns next door
Urbandale spent $990 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,025 to $2,165. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston | $1,025 | $6,577 |
| Grimes | $1,126 | $5,377 |
| Clive | $1,453 | $5,944 |
| Des Moines | $2,165 | $3,496 |
| Urbandale | $990 | $5,563 |
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 Urbandale’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Urbandale’s government
How much does Urbandale spend per resident?
About $1,113 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 $990 was less than 95% of 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Urbandale?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,563 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see urbandale.org.
Who runs Urbandale’s government?
See urbandale.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Urbandale yet.
How did Urbandale vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.9%, Donald J Trump 46.9% (27,698 votes, official results). Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Urbandale?
253 full-time and 46 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Urbandale in the state legislature?
Urbandale is split among 3 State House districts and 2 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 Urbandale’s 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 →