Hardin County Home Historic District · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0Owasa spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Owasa’s city government spent $23,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $561 per resident.
What stands out about how Owasa is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$561 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them
Owasa’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($561 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. Owasa spent less than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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; Owasa itself left out).
About $561 per resident a year, or $1.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Owasa reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,250 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Owasa’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 Owasa’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Owasa →
Who’s in charge in Owasa
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Owasa’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on owasaiowa.com ↗.
Eldora-New Providence Community School District
Owasa’s K–12 school district, shared with Eldora, New Providence. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,788 per pupil, $9,132 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.
Owasa’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Owasa alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hardin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.7%5,790 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%2,553 votesOthers: 1.1% (91 votes).
Most votes in Hardin County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Owasa lies in Hardin County. Every 2024 race in Hardin County is on the county’s page.
Hardin County’s 2024 results →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 Owasa.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: owasaiowa.com ↗
- 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 Owasa’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Owasa’s government
How much does Owasa spend per resident?
About $561 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 $561 was less than 81% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Owasa’s government?
See owasaiowa.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Owasa yet.
How did Owasa vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Owasa alone. Hardin County, where 100% of Owasa lies, voted Trump 68.7%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Owasa?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,298 (about $15,576 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Owasa in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Annette Sweeney) and State House District 54 (Josh Meggers). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Owasa’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 →