Photo: Dougtone · CC BY-SA 2.0In De Soto, 71% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Iowa
De Soto’s city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,061 per resident. Water and other utilities ($742,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how De Soto is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,061 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
De Soto’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,061 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. De Soto spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($271,000), 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; De Soto itself left out).
About $1,061 per resident a year, or $2.91 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
De Soto reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,091 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% 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 De Soto’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 De Soto’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in De Soto →
Who’s in charge in De Soto
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
De Soto’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on desoto-ia.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 1,061 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 (1,061).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Adel-De Soto-Minburn Community School District
De Soto’s K–12 school district, shared with Adel, Minburn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,665 per pupil, $6,609 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.
How De Soto voted in 2024
Official results for De Soto’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.7%313 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.1%183 votesOthers: 2.2% (11 votes).
Most votes in De Soto: Donald J Trump
Dallas County: Trump 51.7%, Harris 46.9% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of De Soto’s 718 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: Zach Nunn
Whole-district result
President, 2024: De Soto, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Soto | 61.7% | 36.1% | 2.2% | 507 |
| Dallas County | 51.7% | 46.9% | 1.4% | 62,633 |
| 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 De Soto.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: desoto-ia.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.
Reach De Soto’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about De Soto’s government
How much does De Soto spend per resident?
About $1,061 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 $1,061 was more than 65% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in De Soto?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,091 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see desoto-ia.org.
Who runs De Soto’s government?
See desoto-ia.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for De Soto yet.
How did De Soto vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 61.7%, Kamala D Harris 36.1% (507 votes, official results). Dallas County: Trump 51.7%, Harris 46.9%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for De Soto?
1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,289 (about $111,468 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents De Soto in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Amy Sinclair) and State House District 23 (Bubba Sorensen). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about De Soto’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 →