Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0Lost Nation spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Lost Nation’s city government spent $241,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $598 per resident. Water and other utilities ($70,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lost Nation is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$598 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
Lost Nation’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($598 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. Lost Nation spent less than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($66,000), 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; Lost Nation itself left out).
About $598 per resident a year, or $1.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lost Nation reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $963 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Lost Nation’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 Lost Nation’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lost Nation →
Who’s in charge in Lost Nation
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lost Nation’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lostnationiowa.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 202 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (403).
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.
Midland Community School District
Lost Nation’s K–12 school district, shared with Monmouth, Onslow, Oxford Junction, Wyoming. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,149 per pupil, $8,758 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.
Lost Nation’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lost Nation alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clinton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.6%13,964 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.8%9,472 votesOthers: 1.6% (377 votes).
Most votes in Clinton County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Lost Nation lies in Clinton County. Every 2024 race in Clinton County is on the county’s page.
Clinton 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 Lost Nation.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lostnationiowa.org ↗
- 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 Lost Nation’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lost Nation’s government
How much does Lost Nation spend per resident?
About $598 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 $598 was less than 78% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lost Nation?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $963 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lostnationiowa.org.
Who runs Lost Nation’s government?
See lostnationiowa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lost Nation yet.
How did Lost Nation vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lost Nation alone. Clinton County, where 100% of Lost Nation lies, voted Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lost Nation?
2 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,135 (about $181,620 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lost Nation in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Mike Zimmer) and State House District 70 (Norlin Mommsen). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lost Nation’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 →