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MiddletownIowaCityParkPhoto: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Middletown

Middletown spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities

Middletown’s city government spent $99,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $296 per resident.

Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$99,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$296
In 2022: $296, less than 96% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$627,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $9,691 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,977
1.21% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Middletown is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$296 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them

Middletown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($296 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. Middletown spent less than 96% of them.

Middle half of the group, $634–$1,190Median $900Middletown

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; Middletown itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $296 per resident a year, or $0.81 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 37%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 37%Fees & charges 24%Utility sales 19%Sales taxes 10%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $16,000. With these, the whole budget was $115,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,977 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Middletown$1,977
$1,977
typical bill a year
1.21%
effective rate
$163,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Middletown

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 168 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 (335).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 8 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
9
part-time
$9,691
payroll for March 2022
$116,292
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$53,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Middletown didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Burlington Community School District

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

Schools in Middletown →
$15,430
per pupil · IA $13,713
3,233
students
$44.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,430 per pupil, $9,177 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 28%State 58%Federal 15%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Middletown’s votes are counted by county

Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Middletown 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 Middletown 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 Middletown

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Middletown.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Middletown’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Middletown’s government

How much does Middletown spend per resident?

About $296 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 $296 was less than 96% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Middletown?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,977 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% 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 Middletown’s government?

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

How did Middletown vote in 2024?

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

How many people work for Middletown?

2 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,691 (about $116,292 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Middletown 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 Middletown’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 →