Photo: Iowahwyman · CC BY-SA 3.0Waukee spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Waukee’s city government spent $58.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,011 per resident. Water and other utilities ($16 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Waukee is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,310 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Waukee’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,310 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 $1,462, and the middle half spent $1,146–$1,732. Waukee spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.8 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; Waukee itself left out).
About $2,011 per resident a year, or $5.51 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Waukee 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: $2,310 · 2023: $2,215 · 2024: $2,011. Per resident it went from $2,310 to $2,011 (down 13%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 26,166 to 29,167.
full-time in March 2025, up from 133 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 $5,475 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% 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 Waukee’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 Waukee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waukee →
Who’s in charge in Waukee
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 176 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 (29,167).
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.
Waukee Community School District
Waukee’s K–12 school district, shared with Clive, West Des Moines, Urbandale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,482 per pupil, $7,571 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.
Van Meter Community School District · $10,339 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Waukee voted in 2024
Official results for Waukee’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%8,467 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.5%8,181 votesOthers: 1.3% (219 votes).
Most votes in Waukee: Kamala D Harris
Dallas County: Trump 51.7%, Harris 46.9% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Waukee’s 19,514 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: Waukee, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukee | 50.2% | 48.5% | 1.3% | 16,867 |
| Dallas County | 46.9% | 51.7% | 1.4% | 62,633 |
| 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
Every level of government that speaks for Waukee.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Iowa HouseState representatives
- 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 Waukee compares with the towns next door
Waukee spent $2,310 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,126 to $1,453. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Van Meter | $1,126 | $4,164 |
| West Des Moines | $1,386 | $4,711 |
| Clive | $1,453 | $5,944 |
| Waukee | $2,310 | $5,475 |
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 Waukee’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Waukee’s government
How much does Waukee spend per resident?
About $2,011 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 $2,310 was more than 97% of 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waukee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,475 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% 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 Waukee’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waukee yet.
How did Waukee vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.2%, Donald J Trump 48.5% (16,867 votes, official results). Dallas County: Trump 51.7%, Harris 46.9%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Waukee?
166 full-time and 78 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waukee in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Sarah Garriott) and State House District 27 (Kenan Judge). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waukee’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 →