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Malcom, IowaPhoto: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Malcom

Malcom spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities

Malcom’s city government spent $318,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,156 per resident. Water and other utilities ($121,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$318,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,156
In 2022: $1,156, more than 73% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$162,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $4,156
Typical tax bill
$1,364
1.24% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Malcom is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,156 per resident, more than 73% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer43% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District with 2 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,364 a year: 1.24% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,156 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them

Malcom’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,156 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. Malcom spent more than 73% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($68,000), 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; Malcom itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,156 per resident a year, or $3.17 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 39%Sales taxes 12%Utility sales 12%Interest, fines & other 9%Fees & charges 8%From other local governments 7%From the federal government 7%From the state 7%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $17,000; interest on debt $5,000; payments to other governments $6,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $467,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,364 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.24% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Malcom$1,364
$1,364
typical bill a year
1.24%
effective rate
$109,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Malcom

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 138 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 (275).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt
Other1
2
full-time
4
part-time
$4,156
payroll for March 2022
$49,872
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$19,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Malcom had 7.3 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: Malcom had more than 82% 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

Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District

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

Schools in Malcom →
$14,019
per pupil · IA $13,713
569
students
$3.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,019 per pupil, $8,264 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 54%State 40%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Malcom’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Poweshiek County’s results9,971 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican57.7%5,758 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.8%4,067 votes

Others: 1.5% (146 votes).

Most votes in Poweshiek County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Poweshiek 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 Malcom

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Malcom.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Dean Fisher
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Annette Sweeney
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ashley Hinson
  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 Malcom’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Malcom’s government

How much does Malcom spend per resident?

About $1,156 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 $1,156 was more than 73% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Malcom?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,364 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.24% 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 Malcom’s government?

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

How did Malcom vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Malcom alone. Poweshiek County, where 100% of Malcom lies, voted Trump 57.7%, Harris 40.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Malcom?

2 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,156 (about $49,872 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Malcom in the state legislature?

State Senate District 27 (Annette Sweeney) and State House District 53 (Dean Fisher). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Malcom’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 →