Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0Holy Cross spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Holy Cross’ city government spent $252,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $681 per resident. Water and other utilities ($39,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Holy Cross is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$681 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Holy Cross’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($681 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. Holy Cross spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($96,000), 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; Holy Cross itself left out).
About $681 per resident a year, or $1.87 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Holy Cross reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,421 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% 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 Holy Cross’ 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 Holy Cross’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Holy Cross →
Who’s in charge in Holy Cross
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Western Dubuque County Community School District
Holy Cross’ 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.
Holy Cross’ votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross.
- 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 Holy Cross’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Holy Cross’ government
How much does Holy Cross spend per resident?
About $681 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 $681 was less than 72% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Holy Cross?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,421 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% 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 Holy Cross’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Holy Cross yet.
How did Holy Cross vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Holy Cross alone. Dubuque County, where 100% of Holy Cross lies, voted Trump 53.7%, Harris 45.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Holy Cross?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $812 (about $9,744 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Holy Cross in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Mike Klimesh) and State House District 64 (Jason Gearhart). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Holy Cross’ 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 →