2025 Compare Cities Education:
Des Moines, IA vs Council Bluffs, IA

Change Cities
Highlights
- Council Bluffs spends 5.3% more per student than Des Moines.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 3.7% lower in Council Bluffs than in Des Moines. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Council Bluffs had 0.6% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Des Moines
 Des Moines, IACouncil Bluffs, IAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$15,049$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$11,894  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,261$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio15.53  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock5664573
 Students per Counselor362  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock4.2%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.6.4%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock87.6%88.9%
 Some College Educ.20.2%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock11.7%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.28.1%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock5.4%9.3%
 Professional Degree1.8%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.4%1.5%
Reviews for Des Moines    53 Reviews

Des Moines is a ok and pretty quiet place but as a teen it could be dramatic because Des Moines do have is fair or violents places to avoid in Des Moines would be the  More

   |    Reply

Dude · 
Over 5 years ago

This city is violent, there are too many gangs especially on the north  More

   |    Reply

Over 6 years ago

Good for the old that like slow pace and cheap buffets. Also good for non-descript mid-westerners that don't like a lot of action. No nightlife or mountains to hike  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Des Moines

Reviews for Council Bluffs    4 Reviews

It's an okay city. Nothing special really. All the fun things to do and good restaurants are across the river in Omaha. I will say CB has some pretty good recreational  More

   |    Reply

Over 9 years ago

Quietly over the years this community has taken untold amounts of riverfront casino tax dollars and converted them into hundreds and hundreds of community improvement  More

   |    Reply

Over 15 years ago

here in council bluffs iowa, we have low crime rate. There have been an increase in shopping areas in the last 2 years and lots of new resturants and three casinos. It  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Council Bluffs


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.