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Durango from Heritage TrailPhoto: Mitch199811 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Durango

Durango spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities

Durango’s city government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $158 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$3,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$158
In 2022: $158, less than 100% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $150
Typical tax bill
$2,400
0.87% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Durango is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$158 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them

Durango’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($158 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. Durango spent less than 100% of them.

Middle half of the group, $634–$1,190Median $900Durango

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; Durango itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $158 per resident a year, or $0.43 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 50%From the federal government 17%From other local governments 17%Property taxes 17%
About “Other”.67% of Durango’s day-to-day spending ($2,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,400 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Durango$2,400
$2,400
typical bill a year
0.87%
effective rate
$275,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Durango

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

Check Durango’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Durango yet.
The school district

Dubuque Community School District

Durango’s K–12 school district, shared with Asbury, Graf, Sageville, Sherrill, St. Donatus and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Durango →
$13,896
per pupil · IA $13,713
10,451
students
$72.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,896 per pupil, $8,663 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 39%State 54%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Durango’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Dubuque County’s results52,566 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican53.7%28,224 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat45.1%23,705 votes

Others: 1.2% (637 votes).

Most votes in Dubuque County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Dubuque 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 Durango

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Durango.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Durango’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Durango’s government

How much does Durango spend per resident?

About $158 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 $158 was less than 100% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Durango?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,400 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% 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 Durango’s government?

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

How did Durango vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Durango alone. Dubuque County, where 100% of Durango lies, voted Trump 53.7%, Harris 45.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Durango?

0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $150 (about $1,800 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Durango in the state legislature?

State Senate District 36 (Tom Townsend) and State House District 72 (Jennifer Smith). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Durango’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 →