Elma spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Elma’s city government spent $842,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,592 per resident. Water and other utilities ($125,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Elma is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,592 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Elma’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,592 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–$1,186. Elma spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($159,000), 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; Elma itself left out).
About $1,592 per resident a year, or $4.36 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Elma reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,214 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.49% 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 Elma’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 Elma’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elma →
Who’s in charge in Elma
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 529 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (529).
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.
Howard-Winneshiek Community School District
Elma’s K–12 school district, shared with Chester, Cresco, Lime Springs, Ridgeway. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,077 per pupil, $9,310 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.
Elma’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elma alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Howard County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.3%3,157 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.5%1,619 votesOthers: 1.3% (61 votes).
Most votes in Howard County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Elma lies in Howard County. Every 2024 race in Howard County is on the county’s page.
Howard 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 Elma.
- 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 Elma’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Elma’s government
How much does Elma spend per resident?
About $1,592 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 $1,592 was more than 90% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Elma?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,214 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.49% 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 Elma’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elma yet.
How did Elma vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elma alone. Howard County, where 100% of Elma lies, voted Trump 65.3%, Harris 33.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Elma?
1 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,644 (about $103,728 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Elma in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Mike Klimesh) and State House District 63 (Michael Bergan). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elma’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 →