Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Plainfield

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Plainfield

Plainfield spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities

Plainfield’s city government spent $464,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,123 per resident. Water and other utilities ($71,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$464,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,123
In 2022: $1,123, more than 70% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$816,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $10,577
Typical tax bill
$1,792
1.40% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Plainfield is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,123 per resident, more than 70% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer50% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Nashua-Plainfield Community School District with 1 other town.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,792 a year: 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,123 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them

Plainfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,123 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–$1,190. Plainfield spent more than 70% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Plainfield

Includes sewer and trash ($201,000), 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; Plainfield itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,123 per resident a year, or $3.08 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 29%Fees & charges 18%Utility sales 15%From the state 10%Sales taxes 10%Interest, fines & other 7%From other local governments 6%From the federal government 5%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $171,000; interest on debt $5,000; payments to other governments $24,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $740,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,792 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Plainfield$1,792
$1,792
typical bill a year
1.40%
effective rate
$128,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Plainfield

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 413 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 (413).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 7 pt
Sewer & trash1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
8
part-time
$10,577
payroll for March 2022
$126,924
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$46,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Plainfield had 2.4 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: Plainfield had fewer than 53% 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

Nashua-Plainfield Community School District

Plainfield’s K–12 school district, shared with Nashua. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Plainfield →
$13,305
per pupil · IA $13,713
593
students
$1.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,305 per pupil, $8,467 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 44%State 51%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Plainfield’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Bremer County’s results14,556 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.4%8,799 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.3%5,571 votes

Others: 1.3% (186 votes).

Most votes in Bremer County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Bremer 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 Plainfield

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Plainfield.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Pat Grassley
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Sandy Salmon
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ashley Hinson
  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 Plainfield’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Plainfield’s government

How much does Plainfield spend per resident?

About $1,123 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 $1,123 was more than 70% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Plainfield?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,792 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% 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 Plainfield’s government?

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

How did Plainfield vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Plainfield alone. Bremer County, where 100% of Plainfield lies, voted Trump 60.4%, Harris 38.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Plainfield?

1 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,577 (about $126,924 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Plainfield in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Sandy Salmon) and State House District 57 (Pat Grassley). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Plainfield’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 →