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Main Street Popejoy IowaPhoto: Jamo2008 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Popejoy

Popejoy spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities

Popejoy’s city government spent $23,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $311 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$23,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$311
In 2022: $311, less than 95% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $2,786
Typical tax bill
$912
1.09% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Popejoy is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $311 per resident, less than 95% of 802 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Alden Community School District with 2 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $912 a year: 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$311 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them

Popejoy’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($311 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. Popejoy spent less than 95% of them.

Middle half of the group, $634–$1,190Median $900Popejoy

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; Popejoy itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $311 per resident a year, or $0.85 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 35%Property taxes 35%Sales taxes 31%
About “Other”.30% of Popejoy’s day-to-day spending ($7,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $912 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Popejoy$912
$912
typical bill a year
1.09%
effective rate
$83,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Popejoy

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

Check Popejoy’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Popejoy yet.
The school district

Alden Community School District

Popejoy’s elementary school district, shared with Alden, Buckeye. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Popejoy →
$15,616
per pupil · IA $13,713
159
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,616 per pupil, $8,862 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 50%State 45%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Popejoy’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Franklin County’s results4,885 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.2%3,431 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.5%1,393 votes

Others: 1.2% (61 votes).

Most votes in Franklin County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Franklin 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 Popejoy

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Popejoy.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Shannon Latham
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Dennis Guth
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Randy Feenstra
  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 Popejoy’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Popejoy’s government

How much does Popejoy spend per resident?

About $311 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 $311 was less than 95% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Popejoy?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $912 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% 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 Popejoy’s government?

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

How did Popejoy vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Popejoy alone. Franklin County, where 100% of Popejoy lies, voted Trump 70.2%, Harris 28.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Popejoy?

0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,786 (about $33,432 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Popejoy in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Dennis Guth) and State House District 55 (Shannon Latham). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Popejoy’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 →