Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0Epworth spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Epworth’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $679 per resident. Water and other utilities ($164,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Epworth is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$606 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them
Epworth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($606 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. Epworth spent less than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($291,000), 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; Epworth itself left out).
About $679 per resident a year, or $1.86 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Epworth 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: $606 · 2024: $679.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,867 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.20% 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 Epworth’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 Epworth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Epworth →
Who’s in charge in Epworth
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Epworth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.epworth.ia.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 402 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 (2,011).
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.
Western Dubuque County Community School District
Epworth’s K–12 school district, shared with Balltown, Bankston, Bernard, Cascade, Dyersville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,228 per pupil, $7,850 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.
Epworth’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Epworth alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dubuque County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.7%28,224 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.1%23,705 votesOthers: 1.2% (637 votes).
Most votes in Dubuque County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Epworth lies in Dubuque County. Every 2024 race in Dubuque County is on the county’s page.
Dubuque 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 Epworth.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.epworth.ia.us ↗
- 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 Epworth’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Epworth’s government
How much does Epworth spend per resident?
About $679 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 $606 was less than 77% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Epworth?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,867 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.20% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.epworth.ia.us.
Who runs Epworth’s government?
See ci.epworth.ia.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Epworth yet.
How did Epworth vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Epworth alone. Dubuque County, where 100% of Epworth lies, voted Trump 53.7%, Harris 45.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Epworth?
5 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,450 (about $329,400 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Epworth in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Carrie Koelker) and State House District 65 (Shannon Lundgren). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Epworth’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 →