Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Humboldt run?
Humboldt’s city government spent $5.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,189 per resident. Water and other utilities ($862,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Humboldt is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,189 per resident a year, or $3.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,189 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Humboldt’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,189 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 91 Iowa cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,166, and the middle half spent $1,027–$1,402. Humboldt spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($969,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Humboldt itself left out).
No trend yet
Humboldt reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,763 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.59% 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 Humboldt’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.
Tax bills are one input to Humboldt’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Humboldt →
Who’s in charge in Humboldt
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Humboldt’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.humboldt.ia.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 175 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 (4,544).
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.
Humboldt Community School District
Humboldt’s K–12 school district, shared with Dakota City, Hardy, Renwick, Rutland. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,912 per pupil, $8,260 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.
Humboldt’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Humboldt alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Humboldt County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.4%3,770 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.4%1,236 votesOthers: 1.2% (61 votes).
Most votes in Humboldt County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Humboldt lies in Humboldt County. Every 2024 race in Humboldt County is on the county’s page.
Humboldt 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 Humboldt.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.humboldt.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.
How Humboldt compares with the towns next door
Humboldt spent $1,189 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $776. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dakota City | $776 | $1,739 |
| Humboldt | $1,189 | $2,763 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Humboldt’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Humboldt’s government
How much does Humboldt spend per resident?
About $1,189 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 $1,189 was more than 52% of 91 Iowa cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Humboldt?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,763 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.59% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.humboldt.ia.us.
Who runs Humboldt’s government?
See ci.humboldt.ia.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Humboldt yet.
How did Humboldt vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Humboldt alone. Humboldt County, where 100% of Humboldt lies, voted Trump 74.4%, Harris 24.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Humboldt?
26 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $145,325 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Humboldt in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Dennis Guth) and State House District 56 (Mark Thompson). The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Humboldt’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 →