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Town Hall · Marathon

Marathon spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Marathon’s city government spent $313,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,373 per resident. Water and other utilities ($284,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$313,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,373
In 2022: $1,373, more than 84% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$121,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $8,582
Typical tax bill
$624
1.33% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Marathon is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,373 per resident, more than 84% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer63% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Laurens-Marathon Community School District with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $624 a year: 1.33% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,373 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them

Marathon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,373 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. Marathon spent more than 84% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,186Median $900Marathon

Includes sewer and trash ($94,000), 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; Marathon itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,373 per resident a year, or $3.76 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 49%Fees & charges 19%Property taxes 16%Sales taxes 5%From the state 4%From the federal government 3%From other local governments 2%Interest, fines & other 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $34,000; interest on debt $8,000; payments to other governments $12,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $651,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $624 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Marathon$624
$624
typical bill a year
1.33%
effective rate
$46,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Marathon

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 57 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 (228).

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

Water & other utilities2 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash1 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 2 pt
4
full-time
11
part-time
$8,582
payroll for March 2022
$102,984
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$14,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Marathon had 17.5 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: Marathon had more than 98% 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

Laurens-Marathon Community School District

Marathon’s elementary school district, shared with Laurens. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Marathon →
$21,255
per pupil · IA $13,713
145
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $21,255 per pupil, $10,890 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 44%State 47%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Marathon’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Buena Vista County’s results7,516 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican66.0%4,962 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.8%2,462 votes

Others: 1.2% (92 votes).

Most votes in Buena Vista County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Marathon lies in Buena Vista County. Every 2024 race in Buena Vista County is on the county’s page.

Buena Vista 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 Marathon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Marathon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Megan Jones
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Lynn Evans
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  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 Marathon’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Marathon’s government

How much does Marathon spend per resident?

About $1,373 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 $1,373 was more than 84% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Marathon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $624 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% 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 Marathon’s government?

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

How did Marathon vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Marathon alone. Buena Vista County, where 100% of Marathon lies, voted Trump 66.0%, Harris 32.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Marathon?

4 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,582 (about $102,984 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Marathon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 3 (Lynn Evans) and State House District 6 (Megan Jones). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Marathon’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 →