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Town Hall · Bode

How is Bode run?

Bode’s city government spent $271,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $948 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$271,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$948
In 2022: $948, more than 54% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $25,424
Typical tax bill
$887
1.17% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Bode is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer34% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Twin Rivers Community School District with 2 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $887 a year: 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $948 per resident a year, or $2.60 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 31%Fees & charges 17%From other local governments 14%From the state 13%Sales taxes 11%Utility sales 11%From the federal government 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.Payments to other governments $4,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $313,000.
Compared with similar places

$948 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Bode’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($948 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–$1,190. Bode spent more than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Bode

Includes sewer and trash ($68,000), 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; Bode itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $887 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Bode$887
$887
typical bill a year
1.17%
effective rate
$75,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bode

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 95 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (286).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 5 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1
3
full-time
9
part-time
$25,424
payroll for March 2022
$305,088
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$56,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Bode had 10.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 648 of the 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.8: Bode had more than 92% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Twin Rivers Community School District

Bode’s elementary school district, shared with Livermore, Ottosen. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bode →
$35,234
per pupil · IA $13,713
47
students
$178,000
long-term debt

Of the $35,234 per pupil, $18,809 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 56%State 38%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bode’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Humboldt County’s results5,067 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican74.4%3,770 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat24.4%1,236 votes

Others: 1.2% (61 votes).

Most votes in Humboldt County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Humboldt 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 Bode

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bode.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Mark Thompson
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Dennis Guth
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  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 Bode’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bode’s government

How much does Bode spend per resident?

About $948 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 $948 was more than 54% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bode?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $887 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% 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 Bode’s government?

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

How did Bode vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bode alone. Humboldt County, where 100% of Bode lies, voted Trump 74.4%, Harris 24.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bode?

3 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $25,424 (about $305,088 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bode in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Dennis Guth) and State House District 56 (Mark Thompson). The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bode’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 →