Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Mount Ayr spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Mount Ayr’s city government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,545 per resident. Water and other utilities ($539,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Mount Ayr is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,545 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Mount Ayr’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,545 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. Mount Ayr spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($702,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mount Ayr itself left out).
About $1,545 per resident a year, or $4.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Mount Ayr reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,232 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Mount Ayr’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 Mount Ayr’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mount Ayr →
Who’s in charge in Mount Ayr
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 200 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 (1,601).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Mount Ayr Community School District
Mount Ayr’s K–12 school district, shared with Beaconsfield, Benton, Ellston, Kellerton, Maloy and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,657 per pupil, $8,712 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.
Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Mount Ayr voted in 2024
Official results for Mount Ayr’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.6%963 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat26.1%346 votesOthers: 1.3% (17 votes).
Most votes in Mount Ayr: Donald J Trump
Ringgold County: Trump 75.1%, Harris 23.8% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
Most votes in the district: Zach Nunn
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Mount Ayr, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Ayr | 72.6% | 26.1% | 1.3% | 1,326 |
| Ringgold County | 75.1% | 23.8% | 1.1% | 2,683 |
| Iowa | 55.7% | 42.5% | 1.8% | 1,663,506 |
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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Mount Ayr.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Iowa HouseState representatives
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Mount Ayr’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Mount Ayr’s government
How much does Mount Ayr spend per resident?
About $1,545 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 $1,545 was more than 89% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mount Ayr?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,232 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.47% 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 Mount Ayr’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mount Ayr yet.
How did Mount Ayr vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 72.6%, Kamala D Harris 26.1% (1,326 votes, official results). Ringgold County: Trump 75.1%, Harris 23.8%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Mount Ayr?
8 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $35,203 (about $422,436 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mount Ayr in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Tom Shipley) and State House District 17 (Devon Wood). The House district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mount Ayr’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →