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

Mediapolis spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities

Mediapolis’ city government spent $2.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,420 per resident. Water and other utilities ($278,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.2M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,420
In 2022: $1,420, more than 85% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.0M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $23,730
Typical tax bill
$2,284
1.27% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Mediapolis is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,420 per resident, more than 85% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer27% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,284 a year: 1.27% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,420 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them

Mediapolis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,420 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. Mediapolis spent more than 85% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($371,000), 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; Mediapolis itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,420 per resident a year, or $3.89 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 27%Fees & charges 22%From the state 17%Utility sales 15%Sales taxes 13%Interest, fines & other 5%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $84,000; payments to other governments $276,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.8 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,284 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.27% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Mediapolis$2,284
$2,284
typical bill a year
1.27%
effective rate
$179,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Mediapolis

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

See mediapolisiowa.org for Mediapolis’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Mediapolis yet.mediapolisiowa.org ↗
Agendas

Mediapolis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mediapolisiowa.org ↗.

Who works for Mediapolis

One full-time city employee for every 303 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 (1,514).

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

Parks & libraries1 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings1
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
5
full-time
5
part-time
$23,730
payroll for March 2022
$284,760
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Mediapolis had 3.3 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: Mediapolis had more 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

Mediapolis Community School District

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

Schools in Mediapolis →
$11,497
per pupil · IA $13,713
972
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $11,497 per pupil, $6,742 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 45%State 51%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Mediapolis’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Des Moines County’s results18,998 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican56.8%10,794 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat41.8%7,935 votes

Others: 1.4% (269 votes).

Most votes in Des Moines County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Mediapolis lies in Des Moines County. Every 2024 race in Des Moines County is on the county’s page.

Des Moines 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 Mediapolis

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Mediapolis.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: mediapolisiowa.org ↗
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Taylor Collins
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Mark Lofgren
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Mariannette Miller-Meeks
  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 Mediapolis’ government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitemediapolisiowa.org ↗

Questions about Mediapolis’ government

How much does Mediapolis spend per resident?

About $1,420 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 $1,420 was more than 85% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Mediapolis?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,284 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.27% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mediapolisiowa.org.

Who runs Mediapolis’ government?

See mediapolisiowa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mediapolis yet.

How did Mediapolis vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mediapolis alone. Des Moines County, where 100% of Mediapolis lies, voted Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Mediapolis?

5 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $23,730 (about $284,760 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Mediapolis in the state legislature?

State Senate District 48 (Mark Lofgren) and State House District 95 (Taylor Collins). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Mediapolis’ 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 →