Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Lenox spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Lenox’s city government spent $2.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,504 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lenox is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,504 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Lenox’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,504 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. Lenox spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($335,000), 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; Lenox itself left out).
About $1,504 per resident a year, or $4.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lenox reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 6 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,517 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% 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 Lenox’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 Lenox’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lenox →
Who’s in charge in Lenox
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 231 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,386).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lenox Community School District
Lenox’s K–12 school district, shared with Sharpsburg, Clearfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,481 per pupil, $7,985 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.
How Lenox voted in 2024
Official results for Lenox’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.0%645 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.1%255 votesOthers: 1.0% (9 votes).
Most votes in Lenox: Donald J Trump
Taylor County: Trump 77.4%, Harris 21.6% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Lenox’s 1,068 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Zach Nunn
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lenox, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenox | 71.0% | 28.1% | 1.0% | 909 |
| Taylor County | 77.4% | 21.6% | 1.0% | 3,078 |
| Iowa | 55.7% | 42.5% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
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 Lenox.
- 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 Lenox’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lenox’s government
How much does Lenox spend per resident?
About $1,504 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 $1,504 was more than 88% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lenox?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,517 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% 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 Lenox’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lenox yet.
How did Lenox vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 71.0%, Kamala D Harris 28.1% (909 votes, official results). Taylor County: Trump 77.4%, Harris 21.6%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Lenox?
6 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $42,694 (about $512,328 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lenox in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Tom Shipley) and State House District 17 (Devon Wood). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lenox’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 →