Dysart spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Dysart’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,312 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dysart is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,143 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Dysart’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,143 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. Dysart spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($439,000), 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; Dysart itself left out).
About $1,312 per resident a year, or $3.59 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dysart 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: $1,143 · 2024: $1,312.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,338 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% 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 Dysart’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 Dysart’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dysart →
Who’s in charge in Dysart
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dysart’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on dysartreporter.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 140 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,261).
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.
Union Community School District
Dysart’s K–12 school district, shared with La Porte City, Mount Auburn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,394 per pupil, $7,747 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.
Dysart’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dysart alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Tama County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.6%5,379 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.7%3,070 votesOthers: 1.7% (145 votes).
Most votes in Tama County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Dysart lies in Tama County. Every 2024 race in Tama County is on the county’s page.
Tama 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 Dysart.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: dysartreporter.com ↗
- 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 Dysart’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dysart’s government
How much does Dysart spend per resident?
About $1,312 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 $1,143 was more than 71% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dysart?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,338 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dysartreporter.com.
Who runs Dysart’s government?
See dysartreporter.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dysart yet.
How did Dysart vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dysart alone. Tama County, where 100% of Dysart lies, voted Trump 62.6%, Harris 35.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dysart?
9 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,177 (about $674,124 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dysart in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Dave Sires) and State House District 76 (Derek Wulf). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dysart’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 →