TheHomeschoolingCompany Quick Start Curriculum Resources About Compare Pricing Placement Blog

What Iowa School Districts Spend Per Student

The median Iowa school district spends $12,439 per student per year, $2,104 below the national median of $14,543, across all 327 districts the state reports. The 325 of them a ZIP code can reach are listed below, and their 510,052 students account for $6.4 billion of current spending in fiscal year 2022.

By , founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed .

Iowa at a Glance

Median district, per student$12,439
National median district$14,543
Districts listed325 of 327
Students listed510,052
Median district, math≈72%
Median district, reading≈70%

Every Iowa District, by Enrollment

Spending is current spending divided by fall membership for fiscal year 2022. Proficiency and graduation rates are school year 2018-19, the last year before the pandemic interrupted state testing, so the money and the results are not from the same year. A figure marked ≈ is one the federal file published as a range rather than a value, so small groups of children stay unidentifiable; it is the middle of that range and within ten points of the real one. A dash means the federal files publish no value under that district's ID. 2 further Iowa districts are missing because the federal boundary file places them in no ZIP code, which is normal for charter and virtual districts with no attendance area.

Iowa school districts by enrollment, with spending per student for fiscal year 2022
DistrictStudentsPer studentMathReadingGraduation
Des Moines Independent Community School District31,323$14,30849%47%83%
Cedar Rapids Community School District15,728$13,96262%65%82%
Sioux City Community School District15,121$11,94161%59%85%
Iowa City Community School District14,820$13,92071%68%90%
Davenport Community School District14,417$13,41154%53%81%
Ankeny Community School District12,621$11,71685%82%96%
Waukee Community School District12,431$11,57886%84%≈100%
Waterloo Community School District10,700$13,80354%53%83%
Dubuque Community School District10,535$13,85470%66%88%
West Des Moines Community School District9,285$12,96075%71%93%
Council Bluffs Community School District8,792$14,70361%56%87%
Linn-Mar Community School District7,797$12,34982%81%96%
Johnston Community School District7,428$11,75684%81%97%
Southeast Polk Community School District7,350$11,91481%76%95%
Cedar Falls Community School District5,920$11,37882%81%96%
College Community School District5,719$12,61164%68%93%
Pleasant Valley Community School District5,549$10,45891%87%97%
Marshalltown Community School District5,115$12,16658%52%86%
Ottumwa Community School District4,861$12,04259%53%87%
Ames Community School District4,831$12,62675%73%96%
Bettendorf Community School District4,770$11,30180%77%95%
Muscatine Community School District4,732$12,07962%57%82%
Urbandale Community School District4,241$12,32777%75%98%
Fort Dodge Community School District3,763$12,30947%55%82%
Western Dubuque County Community School District3,725$11,65783%78%≈100%
Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District3,660$10,87485%83%≈98%
Indianola Community School District3,644$11,41777%72%97%
Mason City Community School District3,587$15,10851%65%93%
Norwalk Community School District3,552$10,51382%78%≈100%
Clinton Community School District3,475$12,86665%64%86%
Burlington Community School District3,443$13,98346%55%78%
North Scott Community School District3,376$10,91983%81%97%
Lewis Central Community School District3,014$11,80771%72%96%
Clear Creek-Amana Community School District2,975$12,48179%76%≈92%
Storm Lake Community School District2,869$12,49056%53%≈52%
Newton Community School District2,865$12,60872%71%90%
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District2,627$10,26774%74%≈98%
Pella Community School District2,463$11,68986%85%≈98%
Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District2,355$12,25182%74%≈98%
Spencer Community School District2,329$11,74280%78%≈92%
Carlisle Community School District2,328$10,56274%68%≈98%
Denison Community School District2,310$12,43968%61%≈92%
Le Mars Community School District2,288$11,32478%73%≈98%
Marion Independent School District2,169$12,96474%68%≈98%
Adel-De Soto-Minburn Community School District2,149$10,79077%75%≈98%
Oskaloosa Community School District2,135$12,43966%67%≈98%
North Polk Community School District2,084$11,29689%87%≈98%
Glenwood Community School District2,056$11,77979%78%≈98%
Boone Community School District1,966$12,43363%65%≈92%
Ballard Community School District1,928$11,12181%86%≈98%
Webster City Community School District1,887$12,15767%58%≈98%
Mount Pleasant Community School District1,867$12,80068%66%≈92%
Carroll Community School District1,844$12,41378%70%≈98%
Keokuk Community School District1,819$12,88557%56%≈92%
Perry Community School District1,808$13,64059%56%≈92%
Fort Madison Community School District1,798$13,47362%60%≈87%
Winterset Community School District1,767$11,21778%70%≈98%
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District1,713$12,06574%80%≈98%
Knoxville Community School District1,700$12,57668%63%≈98%
Sioux Center Community School District1,689$11,57971%69%≈82%
Washington Community School District1,674$13,63251%59%≈92%
Decorah Community School District1,655$13,27484%84%≈98%
Gilbert Community School District1,642$10,99893%90%≈98%
Benton Community School District1,633$10,92972%74%≈98%
Central DeWitt Community School District1,622$12,11776%74%≈98%
Charles City Community School District1,603$13,91355%52%≈92%
Grinnell-Newburg Community School District1,597$13,30579%76%≈87%
Algona Community School District1,579$12,42773%77%≈92%
Fairfield Community School District1,575$13,72570%66%≈92%
MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District1,575$11,32583%88%≈92%
Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District1,573$12,72585%78%≈98%
Atlantic Community School District1,555$11,73168%66%≈98%
Nevada Community School District1,535$12,61372%67%≈98%
Humboldt Community School District1,526$11,35880%79%≈92%
Center Point-Urbana Community School District1,523$11,24882%84%≈98%
Harlan Community School District1,511$11,79479%80%≈98%
Solon Community School District1,511$10,58584%87%≈98%
Independence Community School District1,496$11,82976%70%≈98%
South Tama County Community School District1,488$13,08758%57%≈92%
Clear Lake Community School District1,454$11,87769%73%≈98%
Mid-Prairie Community School District1,453$13,28471%70%≈87%
Creston Community School District1,449$12,29163%65%≈92%
Mount Vernon Community School District1,414$11,88082%81%≈98%
West Delaware County Community School District1,392$12,94575%76%≈98%
Maquoketa Community School District1,366$13,51761%62%≈98%
Centerville Community School District1,361$12,19165%70%≈92%
Saydel Community School District1,356$14,53059%59%≈98%
Oelwein Community School District1,345$13,18552%50%≈87%
Clarke Community School District1,331$12,35455%57%≈87%
West Liberty Community School District1,305$11,33958%57%≈98%
Davis County Community School District1,293$12,87567%68%≈98%
Clayton Ridge Community School District1,282$9,89467%69%≈82%
Iowa Falls Community School District1,275$11,80371%76%≈92%
Chariton Community School District1,272$12,34668%71%≈98%
Hampton-Dumont Community School District1,272$13,76367%59%≈98%
Spirit Lake Community School District1,269$11,63482%78%≈98%
Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District1,266$12,93558%62%≈92%
CAM Community School District1,258$9,30461%70%≈77%
Greene County Community School District1,253$13,34764%65%≈87%
Williamsburg Community School District1,243$12,06684%81%≈98%
Central Lee Community School District1,228$10,69871%74%≈92%
Anamosa Community School District1,218$11,74567%62%≈87%
Sheldon Community School District1,207$11,26178%78%≈92%
Okoboji Community School District1,199$12,03770%74%≈92%
Cherokee Community School District1,189$10,83470%65%≈92%
Woodward-Granger Community School District1,170$13,25687%83%≈95%
Albia Community School District1,153$11,78677%77%≈87%
Forest City Community School District1,146$12,10077%77%≈87%
PCM Community School District1,114$11,88271%73%≈98%
Roland-Story Community School District1,106$11,50579%85%≈98%
Allamakee Community School District1,103$12,90775%73%≈98%
Red Oak Community School District1,093$11,78064%57%≈98%
Jesup Community School District1,087$10,61670%67%≈95%
Shenandoah Community School District1,084$13,17274%74%≈98%
North Fayette Valley Community School District1,073$13,09274%74%≈87%
Howard-Winneshiek Community School District1,070$13,43773%68%≈98%
Cardinal Community School District1,069$11,37856%61%≈95%
Clarinda Community School District1,066$11,07959%57%≈95%
Van Meter Community School District1,045$9,28287%87%≈98%
Union Community School District1,040$12,52280%73%≈98%
Monticello Community School District1,039$13,05571%73%≈98%
Eagle Grove Community School District1,037$11,76555%57%≈95%
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District1,032$13,46073%67%≈92%
New Hampton Community School District1,026$12,59880%70%≈98%
West Marshall Community School District993$10,29274%73%≈98%
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District986$12,97366%59%≈92%
Osage Community School District985$11,86469%67%≈98%
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District974$11,54474%77%≈98%
Rock Valley Community School District974$11,46878%75%≈95%
Odebolt Arthur Battle Creek Ida Grove Community School District969$12,06476%69%≈98%
West Lyon Community School District966$11,20283%75%≈95%
Denver Community School District965$10,63891%87%≈95%
Camanche Community School District962$12,59869%67%≈92%
Tipton Community School District960$11,52469%67%≈87%
Wilton Community School District957$11,28171%71%≈95%
Dike-New Hartford Community School District944$12,38678%82%≈98%
Mediapolis Community School District939$10,90176%78%≈92%
West Burlington Independent School District925$10,41373%75%≈92%
South Central Calhoun Community School District892$13,49073%77%≈98%
MFL MarMac Community School District886$11,82364%71%≈95%
Northeast Community School District879$12,33076%79%≈98%
Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District867$11,44372%75%≈95%
Interstate 35 Community School District860$12,15868%67%≈98%
West Central Valley Community School District859$11,73373%71%≈95%
Van Buren County Community School District852$13,83862%61%≈98%
West Branch Community School District851$11,97172%69%≈87%
Underwood Community School District850$11,33983%83%≈98%
Alta-Aurelia Community School District836$12,20569%65%≈95%
Hinton Community School District832$10,89478%76%≈98%
Sumner-Fredericksburg Community School District830$12,21970%68%≈98%
Louisa-Muscatine Community School District828$11,80269%72%≈92%
Central Springs Community School District821$12,30072%61%≈95%
East Sac County Community School District814$12,62770%65%≈98%
West Sioux Community School District806$13,53258%48%≈95%
Treynor Community School District804$10,77786%90%≈95%
Hudson Community School District802$11,36981%77%≈95%
Central Lyon Community School District794$12,09980%75%≈95%
Emmetsburg Community School District793$11,66162%64%≈85%
Missouri Valley Community School District790$13,08761%66%≈98%
Manson Northwest Webster Community School District784$11,75674%66%≈95%
Bellevue Community School District782$10,71277%72%≈95%
East Marshall Community School District772$11,26472%73%≈95%
Pleasantville Community School District769$11,43273%80%≈95%
West Fork Community School District759$12,00462%73%≈95%
AHSTW Community School District754$12,44281%73%≈95%
Grundy Center Community School District753$12,08582%85%≈95%
Wapsie Valley Community School District743$12,34979%77%≈95%
Ogden Community School District739$10,91283%84%≈95%
Colfax-Mingo Community School District738$13,08461%59%≈95%
Pocahontas Area Community School District737$13,61575%73%≈87%
Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District730$13,09669%73%≈95%
Belmond-Klemme Community School District728$13,38962%60%≈95%
IKM-Manning Community School District724$12,88076%78%≈95%
Panorama Community School District723$12,56871%61%≈95%
Tri-Center Community School District719$11,40262%72%≈95%
Central Decatur Community School District718$13,16967%59%≈95%
Alburnett Community School District714$11,53679%69%≈95%
Lisbon Community School District711$11,51173%76%≈95%
Maquoketa Valley Community School District708$12,39887%91%≈95%
Lawton-Bronson Community School District706$11,14082%85%≈95%
Logan-Magnolia Community School District703$10,11582%81%≈95%
South Hamilton Community School District699$11,89779%82%≈95%
Danville Community School District694$11,61480%69%≈95%
AGWSR Community School District690$12,67169%70%≈95%
Postville Community School District686$14,45045%45%≈95%
Lake Mills Community School District685$12,13773%74%≈95%
Columbus Community School District680$13,30656%55%≈85%
Madrid Community School District676$12,49367%66%≈95%
Boyden-Hull Community School District674$11,89978%78%≈95%
Durant Community School District674$11,59261%64%≈85%
Pekin Community School District667$14,35474%66%≈95%
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District664$14,06060%65%≈85%
Riverside Community School District663$13,25573%73%≈95%
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District660$13,57071%69%≈95%
Earlham Community School District638$11,05382%69%≈95%
Mount Ayr Community School District638$13,00284%82%≈95%
Wayne Community School District634$11,91276%70%≈95%
North Cedar Community School District632$14,71566%70%≈92%
Sioux Central Community School District630$13,19772%76%≈95%
West Monona Community School District630$12,75258%66%≈95%
North Mahaska Community School District623$11,34774%75%≈95%
Akron-Westfield Community School District613$13,03983%81%≈95%
Nodaway Valley Community School District611$12,77772%71%≈95%
Westwood Community School District607$12,74570%72%≈95%
West Hancock Community School District605$11,69881%75%≈95%
Nashua-Plainfield Community School District592$12,56478%75%≈95%
Starmont Community School District592$13,26270%66%≈95%
North Butler Community School District589$13,27074%67%≈95%
East Buchanan Community School District588$12,50361%60%≈95%
New London Community School District587$11,54561%63%≈95%
Woodbury Central Community School District587$12,75173%79%≈95%
St. Ansgar Community School District586$12,69184%80%≈95%
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District581$12,54676%72%≈95%
Northwood-Kensett Community School District580$12,12264%71%≈95%
Sigourney Community School District575$12,19583%77%≈85%
Martensdale-St. Marys Community School District562$12,15179%73%≈95%
Lynnville-Sully Community School District559$11,37085%82%≈95%
Highland Community School District557$12,82465%59%≈95%
Iowa Valley Community School District557$11,23282%79%≈95%
Newell-Fonda Community School District557$12,97770%66%≈90%
South O'Brien Community School District550$14,32770%73%≈85%
Audubon Community School District547$12,72969%73%≈90%
South Winneshiek Community School District541$13,20581%72%≈95%
North Linn Community School District536$11,83877%78%≈85%
Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District532$12,30173%57%≈95%
Woodbine Community School District532$13,40479%76%≈90%
Wapello Community School District531$14,14350%58%≈95%
BCLUW Community School District527$14,36170%72%≈95%
Southeast Valley Community School District (elementary district)520$11,60269%70%—
Eldora-New Providence Community School District518$15,764≈62%≈67%≈92%
Sidney Community School District515$13,06075%69%≈95%
Midland Community School District512$15,14165%71%≈95%
WACO Community School District512$12,95164%64%≈90%
Bedford Community School District510$13,17881%82%≈90%
East Union Community School District507$15,91569%69%≈85%
Lenox Community School District507$12,24777%70%≈95%
Montezuma Community School District501$11,31579%76%≈95%
Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District497$12,80979%65%≈95%
GMG Community School District493$11,49568%76%≈95%
Galva-Holstein Community School District492$12,098≈82%≈72%≈95%
Fremont-Mills Community School District491$11,44878%70%≈95%
Belle Plaine Community School District488$13,11773%74%≈85%
North Tama County Community School District488$12,88970%64%≈95%
Easton Valley Community School District486$13,33164%63%≈95%
Southeast Warren Community School District486$13,99266%68%≈95%
Baxter Community School District477$11,56874%80%≈95%
English Valleys Community School District475$12,56866%67%≈95%
North Iowa Community School District475$13,29756%65%≈95%
Central City Community School District469$11,58263%68%≈95%
Janesville Consolidated School District467$10,471≈77%≈82%≈90%
Guthrie Center Community School District465$13,68481%78%≈95%
Kingsley-Pierson Community School District458$12,71875%72%≈95%
Lone Tree Community School District458$11,11859%60%≈95%
Central Community School District451$12,15360%63%≈90%
Calamus-Wheatland Community School District450$13,01177%70%≈95%
Griswold Community School District441$12,78273%81%≈95%
Springville Community School District436$11,445≈72%≈72%≈90%
Corning Community School District431$15,608≈62%≈67%≈95%
East Mills Community School District431$14,83374%76%≈95%
Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District429$12,57878%76%≈90%
George-Little Rock Community School District429$11,86560%66%≈95%
Boyer Valley Community School District424$12,73672%72%≈90%
Dunkerton Community School District422$12,38267%63%≈95%
Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Community School District419$12,874≈77%≈67%≈95%
Collins-Maxwell Community School District416$13,22860%65%≈90%
Winfield-Mount Union Community School District416$11,18064%64%≈90%
Colo-NESCO Community School District403$13,213≈82%≈72%≈95%
Riceville Community School District398$13,450≈67%≈62%≈90%
Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District384$13,19864%69%≈90%
Moravia Community School District378$12,16760%59%≈90%
Tripoli Community School District377$14,68762%60%≈90%
United Community School District (elementary district)376$10,423≈72%≈52%—
Hubbard-Radcliffe Community School District (elementary district)375$13,19272%67%—
Turkey Valley Community School District373$14,338≈67%≈67%≈90%
West Bend-Mallard Community School District373$11,249≈72%≈77%≈90%
Schaller-Crestland Community School District (elementary district)369$12,07370%67%—
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District368$14,641≈77%≈77%≈95%
Glidden-Ralston Community School District367$12,161≈67%≈67%≈90%
River Valley Community School District358$14,570≈67%≈67%≈95%
Lamoni Community School District351$12,353≈67%≈62%—
Graettinger-Terril Community School District350$14,874≈47%≈52%≈90%
Eastern Allamakee Community School District349$14,074≈87%≈82%≈90%
Harris-Lake Park Community School District346$11,026≈82%≈82%≈90%
Melcher-Dallas Community School District340$12,568≈47%≈52%≈90%
Twin Cedars Community School District335$12,143≈57%≈52%≈95%
Remsen-Union Community School District (elementary district)330$12,86764%65%—
Keota Community School District324$12,157≈67%≈62%≈90%
North Union Community School District318$14,475≈62%≈77%≈95%
West Central Community School District317$12,237≈67%≈67%≈90%
West Harrison Community School District315$15,635≈57%≈67%≈90%
H-L-V Community School District313$14,709≈67%≈77%≈90%
Clarksville Community School District302$12,464≈72%≈72%≈90%
Murray Community School District292$11,716≈77%≈77%≈90%
North Kossuth Community School District (elementary district)283$14,44268%58%—
Villisca Community School District (elementary district)283$14,48163%53%—
Stanton Community School District281$11,302≈87%≈77%≈90%
Adair-Casey Community School District (elementary district)264$12,371≈87%≈77%—
Seymour Community School District251$14,618≈57%≈47%≈90%
Ar-We-Va Community School District242$11,393≈72%≈67%—
Tri-County Community School District213$13,695≈62%≈62%—
Mormon Trail Community School District209$17,526≈57%≈67%≈90%
Paton-Churdan Community School District202$12,950≈82%≈72%≈90%
Essex Community School District198$14,535≈72%≈72%—
Charter Oak-Ute Community School District (elementary district)192$14,974≈57%≈57%—
Whiting Community School District186$14,656≈67%≈72%≈90%
Alden Community School District (elementary district)179$14,078≈67%≈72%—
Moulton-Udell Community School District165$15,133≈57%≈52%—
Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District165$15,230≈52%≈62%≈90%
Andrew Community School District (elementary district)162$17,605≈77%≈77%—
CAL Community School District (elementary district)158$15,196≈65%≈75%—
Delwood Community School District (elementary district)154$15,357≈87%≈77%—
Hamburg Community School District (elementary district)153$16,752≈72%≈72%—
Orient-Macksburg Community School District149$16,121≈62%≈62%—
Schleswig Community School District (elementary district)149$17,839≈77%≈67%—
Gilmore City-Bradgate Community School District (elementary district)135$14,267≈55%≈55%—
South Page Community School District135$16,393≈57%≈57%—
Diagonal Community School District130$15,200≈77%≈82%—
Laurens-Marathon Community School District (elementary district)129$19,186≈57%≈57%—
Morning Sun Community School District (elementary district)122$14,344≈85%≈65%—
Albert City-Truesdale Community School District (elementary district)103$18,786≈65%≈85%—
Olin Consolidated School District (elementary district)81$20,432≈65%≈45%—
Bennett Community School District (elementary district)79$17,937≈65%≈55%—
Clay Central-Everly Community School District73$25,301≈67%≈72%≈90%
Stratford Community School District (elementary district)66$22,864≈65%≈65%—
Twin Rivers Community School District (elementary district)52$27,654≈70%≈50%—

Sources

Spending and enrollment come from the NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33) for fiscal year 2022. Proficiency and graduation rates come from EDFacts for school year 2018-19. Districts are matched to ZIP codes through the NCES EDGE geographic relationship file. Nothing on this page is estimated or modelled: a figure is read from a federal source file or it is left blank.

Questions About Iowa School Spending

How much does the average Iowa school district spend per student?
The middle, or median, Iowa district spent $12,439 per student in fiscal year 2022, $2,104 below the national median of $14,543. The median is the better summary here: a few very small districts spend several times what a large one does, and an average would follow them. That median covers all 327 districts the state reports. Across the 325 a ZIP code can reach, which are the ones listed on this page, 510,052 students account for $6.4 billion of current spending.
Which Iowa districts spend the most and least per student?
Twin Rivers Community School District reports the highest figure in the table at $27,654 per student for 52 students, and Van Meter Community School District the lowest at $9,282 for 1,045 students. Enrollment is the denominator, so a small district with one building and one bus route honestly produces a high figure; read the two columns together.
Why are some Iowa districts missing from this table?
Iowa has 327 districts with federal finance data and 325 of them appear here. The rest are placed in no ZIP code by the federal boundary file, which is normal for charter and virtual school districts that have no attendance area, so there is no ZIP code a reader could use to find them.
Does this money follow a child who is homeschooled?
No. The figure is what the district spends on a seat in its own schools, funded from local property tax, state formula aid and federal programs. Withdrawing a child removes the child from the count rather than sending the money home. TheHomeschoolingCompany is $1,788 for one student for a school year by comparison, less for each child after the first.

Look Up Your Own District

Enter a ZIP code and the calculator returns the district that serves it, what it spends per student, how its students score, and what the same school year costs at home.

School district cost per student by ZIP codeEstimate your own homeschool budgetHomeschooling in IowaPlans and pricing

Spending Per Student in Other States

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming