Photo: Iowahwyman · CC BY-SA 3.0How is West Des Moines run?
West Des Moines’ city government spent $109.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,549 per resident. Water and other utilities ($15.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how West Des Moines is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,549 per resident a year, or $4.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,386 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
West Des Moines’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,386 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Iowa cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,568, and the middle half spent $1,137–$1,782. West Des Moines spent less than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.6 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 of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Des Moines itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West 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: $1,386 · 2023: $1,589 · 2024: $1,549.
full-time in March 2025, up from 476 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 $4,711 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% 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 West 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 West Des Moines’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Des Moines →
Who’s in charge in West Des Moines
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West Des Moines’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wdm.iowa.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 144 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 (70,741).
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.
West Des Moines Community School District
West Des Moines’ K–12 school district, shared with Clive, Windsor Heights. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,690 per pupil, $9,229 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
Van Meter Community School District · $10,339 per pupil
Norwalk Community School District · $11,412 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
West Des Moines’ votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Des Moines alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Polk County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.8%140,075 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.9%112,240 votesOthers: 1.3% (3,248 votes).
Most votes in Polk County: Kamala D Harris
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
66% of West Des Moines lies in Polk County; the rest in Dallas County, Warren County, Madison County. Every 2024 race in Polk County is on the county’s page.
Polk County’s 2024 results →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
West Des Moines sends 5 representatives to the Iowa House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wdm.iowa.gov ↗
- 2Iowa HouseWest Des Moines is split between 5 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 West Des Moines compares with the towns next door
West Des Moines spent $1,386 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,119 to $2,310. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor Heights | $1,119 | $4,732 |
| Norwalk | $1,204 | $4,924 |
| Clive | $1,453 | $5,944 |
| Cumming | $1,637 | $7,821 |
| Des Moines | $2,165 | $3,496 |
| Waukee | $2,310 | $5,475 |
| West Des Moines | $1,386 | $4,711 |
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 West Des Moines’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Des Moines’ government
How much does West Des Moines spend per resident?
About $1,549 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 $1,386 was less than 61% of 18 Iowa cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Des Moines?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,711 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wdm.iowa.gov.
Who runs West Des Moines’ government?
See wdm.iowa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Des Moines yet.
How did West Des Moines vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Des Moines alone. Polk County, where 66% of West Des Moines lies, voted Harris 54.8%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Des Moines?
491 full-time and 194 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.3M (about $51.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Des Moines in the state legislature?
West Des Moines is split among 5 State House districts and 4 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 West 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 →