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Joice iowaPhoto: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Joice

Joice spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities

Joice’s city government spent $451,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,158 per resident. Water and other utilities ($29,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$451,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,158
In 2022: $2,158, more than 97% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.3M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $5,875
Typical tax bill
$1,125
1.16% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Joice is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,158 per resident, more than 97% of 802 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Lake Mills Community School District with 2 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,125 a year: 1.16% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$2,158 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them

Joice’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,158 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. Joice spent more than 97% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($35,000), 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; Joice itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,158 per resident a year, or $5.91 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 37%Interest, fines & other 26%Fees & charges 10%Utility sales 10%From the state 5%Sales taxes 5%From other local governments 3%From the federal government 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $158,000; interest on debt $55,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $693,000.
About “Other”.46% of Joice’s day-to-day spending ($209,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,125 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.16% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Joice$1,125
$1,125
typical bill a year
1.16%
effective rate
$96,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Joice

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

Check Joice’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Joice yet.
The school district

Lake Mills Community School District

Joice’s K–12 school district, shared with Lake Mills, Scarville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Joice →
$12,882
per pupil · IA $13,713
670
students
$39,000
long-term debt

Of the $12,882 per pupil, $8,249 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 47%State 46%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Joice’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Worth County’s results4,278 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican63.5%2,715 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.3%1,508 votes

Others: 1.3% (55 votes).

Most votes in Worth County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Worth 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 Joice

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Joice.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Jane Bloomingdale
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Doug Campbell
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ashley Hinson
  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 Joice’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Joice’s government

How much does Joice spend per resident?

About $2,158 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 $2,158 was more than 97% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Joice?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,125 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.16% 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 Joice’s government?

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

How did Joice vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Joice alone. Worth County, where 100% of Joice lies, voted Trump 63.5%, Harris 35.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Joice?

0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5,875 (about $70,500 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Joice in the state legislature?

State Senate District 30 (Doug Campbell) and State House District 60 (Jane Bloomingdale). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Joice’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 →