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Town Hall · Little Rock

How is Little Rock run?

Little Rock’s city government spent $399,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $921 per resident. Water and other utilities ($67,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$399,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$921
In 2022: $921, more than 52% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$370,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $7,694
Typical tax bill
$793
0.92% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Little Rock is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $921 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 23%Fees & charges 20%From the state 15%From other local governments 13%Sales taxes 12%Utility sales 11%Interest, fines & other 5%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $18,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $514,000.
Compared with similar places

$921 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Little Rock’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($921 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–$1,190. Little Rock spent more than 52% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Little Rock

Includes sewer and trash ($77,000), 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; Little Rock itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $793 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Little Rock$793
$793
typical bill a year
0.92%
effective rate
$85,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Little Rock

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

See lyonedia.com/index.php?pageid=6d65726368616e745f69643a372d31 for Little Rock’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Little Rock yet.lyonedia.com/index.php?pageid=6d65726368616e745f69643a372d31 ↗
Agendas

Little Rock’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lyonedia.com/index.php?pageid=6d65726368616e745f69643a372d31 ↗.

Who works for Little Rock

One full-time city employee for every 433 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 (433).

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

Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 1 pt
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
5
part-time
$7,694
payroll for March 2022
$92,328
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$64,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Little Rock had 2.3 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: Little Rock had fewer than 54% 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

George-Little Rock Community School District

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

Schools in Little Rock →
$12,618
per pupil · IA $13,713
429
students
$2.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,618 per pupil, $7,077 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 50%State 42%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Little Rock’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lyon County’s results6,984 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican84.5%5,899 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat14.6%1,023 votes

Others: 0.9% (62 votes).

Most votes in Lyon County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Little Rock lies in Lyon County. Every 2024 race in Lyon County is on the county’s page.

Lyon 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 Little Rock

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Little Rock.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Little Rock’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Little Rock’s government

How much does Little Rock spend per resident?

About $921 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 $921 was more than 52% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Little Rock?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $793 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lyonedia.com/index.php?pageid=6d65726368616e745f69643a372d31.

Who runs Little Rock’s government?

See lyonedia.com/index.php?pageid=6d65726368616e745f69643a372d31 for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Little Rock yet.

How did Little Rock vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Little Rock alone. Lyon County, where 100% of Little Rock lies, voted Trump 84.5%, Harris 14.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Little Rock?

1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,694 (about $92,328 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Little Rock in the state legislature?

State Senate District 2 (Jeff Taylor) and State House District 4 (Skyler Wheeler). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Little Rock’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 →