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Morning Sun former churchPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Morning Sun

Morning Sun spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities

Morning Sun’s city government spent $465,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $595 per resident. Water and other utilities ($385,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$465,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$595
In 2022: $595, less than 78% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $21,128
Typical tax bill
$1,594
1.56% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Morning Sun is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $595 per resident, less than 78% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer61% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,594 a year: 1.56% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$595 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them

Morning Sun’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($595 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. Morning Sun spent less than 78% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($131,000), 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; Morning Sun itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $595 per resident a year, or $1.63 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 44%Property taxes 17%Fees & charges 13%From the state 11%Sales taxes 6%From the federal government 5%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $218,000; payments to other governments $26,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,594 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Morning Sun$1,594
$1,594
typical bill a year
1.56%
effective rate
$102,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Morning Sun

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 260 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 (781).

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

Water & other utilities2
Administration & buildings1 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 3 pt
3
full-time
4
part-time
$21,128
payroll for March 2022
$253,536
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$71,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Morning Sun had 3.8 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: Morning Sun had more than 58% 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

Morning Sun Community School District

Morning Sun’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Morning Sun →
$15,504
per pupil · IA $13,713
127
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,504 per pupil, $10,094 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 43%State 52%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Morning Sun’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Louisa County’s results5,136 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.8%3,584 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%1,480 votes

Others: 1.4% (72 votes).

Most votes in Louisa County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Morning Sun lies in Louisa County. Every 2024 race in Louisa County is on the county’s page.

Louisa 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 Morning Sun

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Morning Sun.

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

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Morning Sun’s government

How much does Morning Sun spend per resident?

About $595 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 $595 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 Morning Sun?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,594 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% 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 Morning Sun’s government?

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

How did Morning Sun vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Morning Sun alone. Louisa County, where 100% of Morning Sun lies, voted Trump 69.8%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Morning Sun?

3 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,128 (about $253,536 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Morning Sun 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 Morning Sun’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 →