Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 3.0Bettendorf spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Bettendorf’s city government spent $58.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,476 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bettendorf is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Bettendorf
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: bettendorf.org ↗
Bettendorf’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bettendorf.org ↗.
About $1,476 per resident a year, or $4.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,216 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Bettendorf’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,216 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,463, and the middle half spent $1,146–$1,768. Bettendorf spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bettendorf itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 31% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bettendorf reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,216 · 2023: $1,415 · 2024: $1,476. Per resident it went from $1,216 to $1,476 (up 21%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 36,665 to 39,548.
full-time in March 2025, up from 223 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,394 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bettendorf’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.
Tax bills are one input to Bettendorf’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bettendorf →
One full-time city employee for every 156 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (39,548).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Pleasant Valley Community School District
Bettendorf’s K–12 school district, shared with Le Claire, Panorama Park, Riverdale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,032 per pupil, $6,993 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.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
Bettendorf Community School District · $12,163 per pupil
North Scott Community School District · $11,525 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Bettendorf voted in 2024
Official results for Bettendorf’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.3%11,839 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.4%10,935 votesOthers: 1.3% (301 votes).
Most votes in Bettendorf: Donald J Trump
Scott County: Trump 51.2%, Harris 47.3% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Bettendorf’s 28,127 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Mariannette Millermeeks
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bettendorf, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bettendorf | 51.3% | 47.4% | 1.3% | 23,075 |
| Scott County | 51.2% | 47.3% | 1.4% | 89,743 |
| Iowa | 55.7% | 42.5% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
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 Bettendorf.
- 1Your cityMayorRobert Gallagheras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Iowa HouseBettendorf is split between 2 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bettendorf compares with the towns next door
Bettendorf spent $1,216 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,422 to $2,822. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bettendorf’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bettendorf’s government
How much does Bettendorf spend per resident?
About $1,476 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,216 was less than 67% of 39 Iowa cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bettendorf?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,394 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bettendorf.org.
Who is the mayor of Bettendorf?
Robert Gallagher, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on bettendorf.org.
How did Bettendorf vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.3%, Kamala D Harris 47.4% (23,075 votes, official results). Scott County: Trump 51.2%, Harris 47.3%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Bettendorf?
253 full-time and 124 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bettendorf in the state legislature?
Bettendorf is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Iowa Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 47 (Scott Webster). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bettendorf’s 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 →