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Town Hall · Hartford

Hartford spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Hartford’s city government spent $554,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $710 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$554,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$710
In 2022: $710, less than 69% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$775,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $10,657
Typical tax bill
$2,158
1.22% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Hartford is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $710 per resident, less than 69% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer23% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Carlisle Community School District with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,158 a year: 1.22% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$710 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them

Hartford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($710 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. Hartford spent less than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Hartford

Includes sewer and trash ($127,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

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; Hartford itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $710 per resident a year, or $1.95 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 32%Fees & charges 27%Property taxes 20%Sales taxes 15%From other local governments 3%Interest, fines & other 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $202,000; interest on debt $8,000; payments to other governments $58,000. With these, the whole budget was $822,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,158 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.22% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Hartford$2,158
$2,158
typical bill a year
1.22%
effective rate
$176,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hartford

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

Check Hartford’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hartford yet.
Who works for Hartford

One full-time city employee for every 780 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 (780).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Sewer & trash0 + 8 pt
Administration & buildings1
Other0 + 4 pt
1
full-time
12
part-time
$10,657
payroll for March 2022
$127,884
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$52,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Hartford had 1.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 648 of the 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.8: Hartford had fewer than 58% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Carlisle Community School District

Hartford’s K–12 school district, shared with Carlisle. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hartford →
$11,860
per pupil · IA $13,713
2,296
students
$20.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,860 per pupil, $6,818 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 37%State 58%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hartford’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Warren County’s results32,662 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.7%19,486 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.9%12,712 votes

Others: 1.4% (464 votes).

Most votes in Warren County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Warren 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 Hartford

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hartford.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Samantha Fett
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    District 11
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mariannette Miller-Meeks
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
    Chuck GrassleyJoni Ernst

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

Reach Hartford’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hartford’s government

How much does Hartford spend per resident?

About $710 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 $710 was less than 69% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hartford?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,158 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.22% 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 Hartford’s government?

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

How did Hartford vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hartford alone. Warren County, where 100% of Hartford lies, voted Trump 59.7%, Harris 38.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hartford?

1 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,657 (about $127,884 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hartford in the state legislature?

State Senate District 11 and State House District 22 (Samantha Fett). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hartford’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 →