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Town Hall · Lawton

Lawton spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities

Lawton’s city government spent $538,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $550 per resident. Water and other utilities ($164,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$538,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$550
In 2022: $550, less than 82% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $12,640
Typical tax bill
$3,000
1.18% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Lawton is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $550 per resident, less than 82% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer45% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Lawton-Bronson Community School District with 1 other town.
Compared with similar places

$550 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them

Lawton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($550 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 $634–$1,190. Lawton spent less than 82% of them.

Middle half of the group, $634–$1,190Median $900Lawton

Includes sewer and trash ($150,000), 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; Lawton itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $550 per resident a year, or $1.51 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 25%Fees & charges 20%Utility sales 14%Sales taxes 14%From the state 12%From the federal government 6%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments 3%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $530,000; payments to other governments $19,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.3 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,000 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lawton$3,000
Iowa$2,897
$3,000
typical bill a year
1.18%
effective rate
$254,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lawton

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 490 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 (979).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1
Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
7
part-time
$12,640
payroll for March 2022
$151,680
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$66,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Lawton had 2.0 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: Lawton had fewer than 56% 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

Lawton-Bronson Community School District

Lawton’s K–12 school district, shared with Bronson. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lawton →
$11,772
per pupil · IA $13,713
745
students
$237,000
long-term debt

Of the $11,772 per pupil, $7,259 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 49%State 47%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lawton’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Woodbury County’s results42,674 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.9%25,969 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.8%16,145 votes

Others: 1.3% (560 votes).

Most votes in Woodbury County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Woodbury 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 Lawton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lawton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Bob Henderson
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Catelin Drey
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  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 Lawton’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Lawton’s government

How much does Lawton spend per resident?

About $550 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 $550 was less than 82% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lawton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,000 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% 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 Lawton’s government?

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

How did Lawton vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lawton alone. Woodbury County, where 100% of Lawton lies, voted Trump 60.9%, Harris 37.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lawton?

2 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,640 (about $151,680 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lawton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Catelin Drey) and State House District 2 (Bob Henderson). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lawton’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 →