Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Burlington spent less per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $31.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,335 per resident. Water and other utilities ($11.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,287 per resident in 2022: less than 65% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,287 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 Iowa cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,463, and the middle half spent $1,179–$1,838. Burlington spent less than 65% 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Burlington itself left out).
About $1,335 per resident a year, or $3.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $1,287 · 2023: $1,379 · 2024: $1,335.
full-time in March 2025, down from 194 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 $1,874 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.64% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burlingtoniowa.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 126 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 (23,611).
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.
Burlington Community School District
Burlington’s K–12 school district, shared with Middletown, West Burlington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,430 per pupil, $9,177 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Burlington’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Des Moines County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.8%10,794 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.8%7,935 votesOthers: 1.4% (269 votes).
Most votes in Des Moines County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Burlington lies in Des Moines County. Every 2024 race in Des Moines County is on the county’s page.
Des Moines County’s 2024 results →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 Burlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlingtoniowa.org ↗
- 2Iowa HouseState representatives
- 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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $1,287 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,140. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Burlington | $1,140 | $1,903 |
| Burlington | $1,287 | $1,874 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $1,335 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 $1,287 was less than 65% of 23 Iowa cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,874 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlingtoniowa.org.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlingtoniowa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone. Des Moines County, where 100% of Burlington lies, voted Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Burlington?
188 full-time and 58 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Jeff Reichman) and State House District 99 (Matt Rinker). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Burlington’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 →