Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0La Porte City spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
La Porte City’s city government spent $2.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,168 per resident.
What stands out about how La Porte City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,204 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them
La Porte City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,204 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. La Porte City spent more than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($436,000), 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; La Porte City itself left out).
About $1,168 per resident a year, or $3.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 1% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years La Porte City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,204 · 2023: $1,168.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,482 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% 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 La Porte City’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 La Porte City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in La Porte City →
Who’s in charge in La Porte City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 189 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,264).
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.
Union Community School District
La Porte City’s K–12 school district, shared with Dysart, Mount Auburn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,394 per pupil, $7,747 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.
La Porte City’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for La Porte City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Black Hawk County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.0%31,299 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.8%30,572 votesOthers: 1.2% (782 votes).
Most votes in Black Hawk County: Kamala D Harris
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of La Porte City lies in Black Hawk County. Every 2024 race in Black Hawk County is on the county’s page.
Black Hawk 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 La Porte City.
- 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 La Porte City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about La Porte City’s government
How much does La Porte City spend per resident?
About $1,168 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,204 was more than 76% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in La Porte City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,482 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% 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 La Porte City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for La Porte City yet.
How did La Porte City vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for La Porte City alone. Black Hawk County, where 100% of La Porte City lies, voted Harris 50.0%, Trump 48.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for La Porte City?
12 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,633 (about $679,596 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents La Porte City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Dave Sires) and State House District 76 (Derek Wulf). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about La Porte City’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 →