Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0Columbus City spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Columbus City’s city government spent $227,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $588 per resident. Water and other utilities ($72,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Columbus City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$488 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them
Columbus City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($488 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. Columbus City spent less than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($66,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbus City itself left out).
About $588 per resident a year, or $1.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Columbus City 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: $488 · 2024: $588.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,300 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.16% 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 Columbus City’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 Columbus City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbus City →
Who’s in charge in Columbus City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbus Community School District
Columbus City’s K–12 school district, shared with Columbus Junction, Conesville, Cotter, Fredonia. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,602 per pupil, $9,150 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.
Columbus City’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbus City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Louisa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.8%3,584 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%1,480 votesOthers: 1.4% (72 votes).
Most votes in Louisa County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Columbus City lies in Louisa County. Every 2024 race in Louisa County is on the county’s page.
Louisa 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 Columbus City.
- 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 Columbus City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbus City’s government
How much does Columbus City spend per resident?
About $588 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 $488 was less than 86% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,300 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.16% 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 Columbus City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbus City yet.
How did Columbus City vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbus City alone. Louisa County, where 100% of Columbus City lies, voted Trump 69.8%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbus City?
0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,219 (about $98,628 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbus City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 48 (Mark Lofgren) and State House District 95 (Taylor Collins). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbus City’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 →