Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Des Moines spent less per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Des Moines’ village government spent $63,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $521 per resident.
What stands out about how Des Moines is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$521 per resident in 2022: less than 89% of them
Des Moines’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($521 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 28 New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,528, and the middle half spent $882–$2,395. Des Moines spent less than 89% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Des Moines itself left out).
About $521 per resident a year, or $1.43 a day
Day-to-day services only.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Des Moines reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $510 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.33% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.
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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
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 village employee for every 61 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (121).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
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 Municipal Schools
Des Moines’ K–12 school district, shared with Folsom, Grenville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,679 per pupil, $15,781 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.
New Mexico districts overall: 17% local, 64% state, 20% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Des Moines’ votes are counted by county
New Mexico reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Des Moines alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Union County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.0%1,247 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%378 votesOthers: 1.0% (16 votes).
Most votes in Union County: Donald J Trump
New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%
100% of Des Moines lies in Union County. Every 2024 race in Union County is on the county’s page.
Union 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
Every level of government that speaks for Des Moines.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2New Mexico HouseState representatives
- 3New Mexico SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
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 $521 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $521 was less than 89% of 28 New Mexico cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Des Moines?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $510 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’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?
New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Des Moines alone. Union County, where 100% of Des Moines lies, voted Trump 76.0%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Des Moines?
2 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,941 (about $119,292 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Des Moines in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Pat Woods) and State House District 67 (Jack Chatfield). The House district also covers 12 other towns. 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 →