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Downtown Shelby, IowaPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Shelby

Shelby spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities

Shelby’s city government spent $733,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,208 per resident. Water and other utilities ($583,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$733,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,208
In 2022: $1,208, more than 76% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$4.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $15,524
Typical tax bill
$2,124
1.31% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Shelby is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,208 per resident, more than 76% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer51% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares AHSTW Community School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,124 a year: 1.31% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$1,208 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them

Shelby’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,208 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. Shelby spent more than 76% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($88,000), 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; Shelby itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,208 per resident a year, or $3.31 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 35%Property taxes 32%Interest, fines & other 16%Fees & charges 7%From the state 6%Sales taxes 4%From other local governments 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $117,000; payments to other governments $21,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,124 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.31% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Shelby$2,124
$2,124
typical bill a year
1.31%
effective rate
$162,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Shelby

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

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

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

Who works for Shelby

One full-time city employee for every 152 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 (607).

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

Water & other utilities2
Administration & buildings1 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation1
4
full-time
1
part-time
$15,524
payroll for March 2022
$186,288
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$44,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Shelby had 6.6 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: Shelby had more than 79% 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

AHSTW Community School District

Shelby’s K–12 school district, shared with Avoca, Hancock, Walnut, Tennant. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Shelby →
$13,043
per pupil · IA $13,713
765
students
$13.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,043 per pupil, $8,405 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 58%State 38%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Shelby’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Shelby County’s results6,486 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.9%4,600 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat27.9%1,811 votes

Others: 1.2% (75 votes).

Most votes in Shelby County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

99% of Shelby lies in Shelby County; the rest in Pottawattamie County. Every 2024 race in Shelby County is on the county’s page.

Shelby 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 Shelby

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Shelby.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: shelbyia.com ↗
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Craig Williams
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Jason Schultz
  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 Shelby’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteshelbyia.com ↗

Questions about Shelby’s government

How much does Shelby spend per resident?

About $1,208 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 $1,208 was more than 76% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Shelby?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,124 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see shelbyia.com.

Who runs Shelby’s government?

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

How did Shelby vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Shelby alone. Shelby County, where 99% of Shelby lies, voted Trump 70.9%, Harris 27.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Shelby?

4 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,524 (about $186,288 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Shelby in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Jason Schultz) and State House District 11 (Craig Williams). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Shelby’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 →