Photo: Photo by William Whittaker, Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa · CC BY-SA 4.0South English spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
South English’s city government spent $77,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $365 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South English is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$365 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
South English’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($365 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. South English spent less than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($36,000), 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; South English itself left out).
About $365 per resident a year, or $1.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
South English reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,058 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.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at South English’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 South English’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South English →
Who’s in charge in South English
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 211 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 (211).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
English Valleys Community School District
South English’s K–12 school district, shared with Kinross, Millersburg, North English, Webster. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,304 per pupil, $9,819 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.
South English’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South English alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Keokuk County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.2%3,869 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.7%1,219 votesOthers: 1.1% (54 votes).
Most votes in Keokuk County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of South English lies in Keokuk County. Every 2024 race in Keokuk County is on the county’s page.
Keokuk 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 South English.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 South English’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about South English’s government
How much does South English spend per resident?
About $365 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 $365 was less than 93% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South English?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,058 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 South English’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South English yet.
How did South English vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South English alone. Keokuk County, where 100% of South English lies, voted Trump 75.2%, Harris 23.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South English?
1 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,088 (about $73,056 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South English in the state legislature?
State Senate District 44 (Adrian Dickey) and State House District 88 (Helena Hayes). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South English’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 →