County Commons · Iowa
Iowa: state government and every county
The state's own money — what it collects and what it spends on — its official offices, how to vote, and a page for each of its 99 counties. Every number from official public records, with sources.
3,241,488 people (2024 Census estimate, +1.6% since 2020) · 99 counties
The state's money — Iowa state government, fiscal 2023
The state government took in $31.3 billion and spent $27.4 billion · $8,445 per resident. It owed $6.6 billion in debt at year's end.
Of every $100 it spends
Public welfare$33.42 · $9 billion
Education$31.42 · $8.5 billion
Hospitals$11.92 · $3.2 billion
Highways$9.49 · $2.6 billion
Other and unallocable$4.73 · $1.3 billion
Governmental administration$3.00 · $812.6 million
Natural resources$1.84 · $498.4 million
Health$1.33 · $361.1 million
Correction$1.27 · $343.7 million
Interest on general debt$0.88 · $237.9 million
Police protection$0.55 · $149.4 million
Parks and recreation$0.13 · $34.9 million
✓ These 12 functions add to the state's general expenditure, $27.1 billion, exactly. “Public welfare” is mostly Medicaid. Money the state passes to counties, cities and school districts is counted in the function it pays for.
Where its money comes from
Taxes$13 billion
General sales tax$4.7 billion
Individual income tax$4.6 billion
Selective sales taxes (fuel, tobacco, alcohol and others)$1.6 billion
License taxes (vehicles, businesses, hunting and others)$1.1 billion
Corporate income tax$838.1 million
Other taxes (severance, transfer and others)$117.2 million
Property tax (state share)$0.8 million
From other governments (mostly federal aid)$10.3 billion
Charges and fees (tuition, tolls, hospital charges)$5.2 billion
Other general revenue (interest, rents, settlements)$2.3 billion
Pension and insurance trust earnings and contributions$3 billion
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Annual Survey of State Government Finances (State Totals), last revised Sept. 16, 2025. These are the state government's own books — counties, cities and school districts are separate.