Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Carbon spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Carbon’s city government spent $6,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $194 per resident.
What stands out about how Carbon is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$194 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them
Carbon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($194 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 $634–$1,190. Carbon spent less than 99% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Carbon itself left out).
About $194 per resident a year, or $0.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Carbon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Carbon
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Corning Community School District
Carbon’s K–12 school district, shared with Corning. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,094 per pupil, $9,331 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.
Carbon’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Carbon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Adams County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.2%1,517 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.0%576 votesOthers: 1.8% (38 votes).
Most votes in Adams County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Carbon lies in Adams County. Every 2024 race in Adams County is on the county’s page.
Adams 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 Carbon.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Carbon’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Carbon’s government
How much does Carbon spend per resident?
About $194 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 $194 was less than 99% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Carbon’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Carbon yet.
How did Carbon vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Carbon alone. Adams County, where 100% of Carbon lies, voted Trump 71.2%, Harris 27.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Carbon?
0 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $265 (about $3,180 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Carbon in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Tom Shipley) and State House District 17 (Devon Wood). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Carbon’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 →