Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0Leighton spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Leighton’s city government spent $89,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $574 per resident.
What stands out about how Leighton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$574 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Leighton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($574 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. Leighton spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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; Leighton itself left out).
About $574 per resident a year, or $1.57 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Leighton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,841 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% 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 Leighton’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 Leighton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Leighton →
Who’s in charge in Leighton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pella Community School District
Leighton’s K–12 school district, shared with Pella. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,982 per pupil, $8,173 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.
Leighton’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Leighton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mahaska County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.2%8,207 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%2,577 votesOthers: 1.2% (126 votes).
Most votes in Mahaska County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Leighton lies in Mahaska County. Every 2024 race in Mahaska County is on the county’s page.
Mahaska 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 Leighton.
- 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 Leighton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Leighton’s government
How much does Leighton spend per resident?
About $574 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 $574 was less than 80% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Leighton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,841 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% 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 Leighton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Leighton yet.
How did Leighton vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Leighton alone. Mahaska County, where 100% of Leighton lies, voted Trump 75.2%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Leighton?
0 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,661 (about $19,932 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Leighton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Ken Rozenboom) and State House District 37 (Barb Kniff McCulla). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Leighton’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 →