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Hills, IowaPhoto: Billwhittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Hills

Hills spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities

Hills’ city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,350 per resident. Water and other utilities ($104,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.1M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,350
In 2022: $1,350, more than 82% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 32 part-time · March payroll $20,354
Typical tax bill
$3,238
1.35% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Hills is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,350 per resident, more than 82% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer20% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Iowa City Community School District with 4 other towns.
Compared with similar places

$1,350 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them

Hills’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,350 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. Hills spent more than 82% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,186Median $900Hills

Includes sewer and trash ($147,000), 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; Hills itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,350 per resident a year, or $3.70 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 24%Utility sales 19%Sales taxes 18%Fees & charges 16%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments 3%Other taxes & licenses 3%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $154,000; payments to other governments $50,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,238 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Hills$3,238
Iowa$2,897
$3,238
typical bill a year
1.35%
effective rate
$240,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hills

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 834 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 (834).

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

Fire0 + 20 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 9 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other1 + 2 pt
1
full-time
32
part-time
$20,354
payroll for March 2022
$244,248
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Hills had 1.2 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: Hills 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

Iowa City Community School District

Hills’ K–12 school district, shared with University Heights, Iowa City, North Liberty, Coralville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hills →
$14,052
per pupil · IA $13,713
14,776
students
$336 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,052 per pupil, $9,221 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 50%State 44%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hills’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Johnson County’s results86,068 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat68.4%58,846 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican30.3%26,087 votes

Others: 1.3% (1,135 votes).

Most votes in Johnson County: Kamala D Harris

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Johnson 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 Hills

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hills.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Heather Hora
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Dawn Driscoll
  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 Hills’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hills’ government

How much does Hills spend per resident?

About $1,350 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 $1,350 was more than 82% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hills?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,238 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% 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 Hills’ government?

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

How did Hills vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hills alone. Johnson County, where 100% of Hills lies, voted Harris 68.4%, Trump 30.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hills?

1 full-time and 32 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $20,354 (about $244,248 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hills in the state legislature?

State Senate District 46 (Dawn Driscoll) and State House District 92 (Heather Hora). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hills’ 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 →