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Town Hall · Panora

Panora spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Panora’s city government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,735 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.9 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.8M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,735
In 2022: $1,735, more than 93% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.4M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
15
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $79,737
Typical tax bill
$2,741
1.51% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Panora is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,735 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Panora’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,735 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. Panora spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,186Median $900Panora

Includes sewer and trash ($480,000), 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; Panora itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,735 per resident a year, or $4.75 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 46%Fees & charges 21%Property taxes 18%From the federal government 3%From the state 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Sales taxes 3%From other local governments 3%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $489,000; interest on debt $161,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,741 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lake Panorama$4,707
Iowa$2,897
Panora$2,741
$2,741
typical bill a year
1.51%
effective rate
$182,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Panora

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

See cityofpanora.com for Panora’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Panora yet.cityofpanora.com ↗
Agendas

Panora’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpanora.com ↗.

Who works for Panora

One full-time city employee for every 71 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 (1,066).

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

Health & welfare4 + 6 pt
Police3
Water & other utilities3
Administration & buildings2
Roads & transportation2
Parks & libraries0 + 3 pt
Sewer & trash1
15
full-time
9
part-time
$79,737
payroll for March 2022
$956,844
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$54,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Panora had 14.1 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: Panora had more than 96% 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

Panorama Community School District

Panora’s K–12 school district, shared with Bagley, Jamaica, Linden, Yale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Panora →
$13,669
per pupil · IA $13,713
700
students
$3.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,669 per pupil, $8,519 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 60%State 36%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Panora’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Guthrie County’s results6,514 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican68.3%4,446 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%1,974 votes

Others: 1.4% (94 votes).

Most votes in Guthrie County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Panora lies in Guthrie County. Every 2024 race in Guthrie County is on the county’s page.

Guthrie 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 Panora

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Panora.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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.

Next door

How Panora compares with the towns next door

Panora spent $1,735 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Panora$1,735$2,741

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 Panora’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Panora’s government

How much does Panora spend per resident?

About $1,735 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 $1,735 was more than 93% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Panora?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,741 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofpanora.com.

Who runs Panora’s government?

See cityofpanora.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Panora yet.

How did Panora vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Panora alone. Guthrie County, where 100% of Panora lies, voted Trump 68.3%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Panora?

15 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $79,737 (about $956,844 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Panora in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Jesse Green) and State House District 47 (Carter Nordman). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Panora’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 →