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City Hall and Library - Bennett, IowaPhoto: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Bennett

Bennett spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities

Bennett’s city government spent $605,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,622 per resident. Water and other utilities ($60,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$605,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,622
In 2022: $1,622, more than 91% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $14,884 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,500
1.15% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Bennett is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,622 per resident, more than 91% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer19% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Bennett Community School District with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,500 a year: 1.15% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,622 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them

Bennett’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,622 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $900, and the middle half spent $632–$1,186. Bennett spent more than 91% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,186Median $900Bennett

Includes sewer and trash ($65,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
802

Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bennett itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,622 per resident a year, or $4.44 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 43%Property taxes 18%Utility sales 9%From the state 8%Sales taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 4%From other local governments 4%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $1,000; payments to other governments $33,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $699,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Bennett reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,500 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.15% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Bennett$1,500
$1,500
typical bill a year
1.15%
effective rate
$130,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bennett’s 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 Bennett’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bennett →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bennett

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Bennett’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bennett yet.
Who works for Bennett

One full-time city employee for every 75 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 (373).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Fire0 + 1 pt
5
full-time
12
part-time
$14,884
payroll for March 2022
$178,608
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$26,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Bennett didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Bennett Community School District

Bennett’s elementary school district, shared with New Liberty. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bennett →
$22,444
per pupil · IA $13,713
72
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $22,444 per pupil, $13,000 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 50%State 43%Federal 7%

Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Bennett’s votes are counted by county

Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bennett alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cedar County’s results.

President · Cedar County’s results10,624 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.1%6,390 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.4%4,075 votes

Others: 1.5% (159 votes).

Most votes in Cedar County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Bennett lies in Cedar County. Every 2024 race in Cedar County is on the county’s page.

Cedar County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Bennett

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bennett.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Bobby Kaufmann
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Kerry Gruenhagen
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mariannette Miller-Meeks
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
    Chuck GrassleyJoni Ernst

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Bennett’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bennett’s government

How much does Bennett spend per resident?

About $1,622 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 $1,622 was more than 91% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bennett?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,500 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Bennett’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bennett yet.

How did Bennett vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bennett alone. Cedar County, where 100% of Bennett lies, voted Trump 60.1%, Harris 38.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bennett?

5 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,884 (about $178,608 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Bennett in the state legislature?

State Senate District 41 (Kerry Gruenhagen) and State House District 82 (Bobby Kaufmann). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bennett’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →