Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0Norwalk spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Norwalk’s city government spent $18.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,334 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Norwalk is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,204 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Norwalk’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,204 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 Iowa cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,463, and the middle half spent $1,179–$1,838. Norwalk spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.2 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Norwalk itself left out).
About $1,334 per resident a year, or $3.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Norwalk reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,204 · 2023: $1,310 · 2024: $1,334. Per resident it went from $1,204 to $1,334 (up 11%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,449 to 14,177.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,924 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.62% 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 Norwalk’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.
Tax bills are one input to Norwalk’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Norwalk →
Who’s in charge in Norwalk
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Norwalk’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on norwalk.iowa.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 215 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (14,177).
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.
Norwalk Community School District
Norwalk’s K–12 school district, shared with Cumming, Spring Hill. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,412 per pupil, $6,753 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 Norwalk voted in 2024
Official results for Norwalk’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.0%4,717 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.8%3,914 votesOthers: 1.2% (101 votes).
Most votes in Norwalk: Donald J Trump
Warren County: Trump 59.7%, Harris 38.9% · Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
of Norwalk’s 10,315 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Iowa: 70%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Norwalk, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Norwalk, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk | 54.0% | 44.8% | 1.2% | 8,732 |
| Warren County | 59.7% | 38.9% | 1.4% | 32,662 |
| 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 Norwalk.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: norwalk.iowa.gov ↗
- 2Iowa HouseNorwalk is split between 2 districts
- 3Iowa SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Norwalk compares with the towns next door
Norwalk spent $1,204 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,386 to $2,165. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| West Des Moines | $1,386 | $4,711 |
| Des Moines | $2,165 | $3,496 |
| Norwalk | $1,204 | $4,924 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Norwalk’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Norwalk’s government
How much does Norwalk spend per resident?
About $1,334 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,204 was less than 70% of 23 Iowa cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Norwalk?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,924 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see norwalk.iowa.gov.
Who runs Norwalk’s government?
See norwalk.iowa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Norwalk yet.
How did Norwalk vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.0%, Kamala D Harris 44.8% (8,732 votes, official results). Warren County: Trump 59.7%, Harris 38.9%. Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%.
How many people work for Norwalk?
66 full-time and 32 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $452,890 (about $5.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Norwalk in the state legislature?
Norwalk is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Iowa Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Norwalk’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 →