Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0How is St. Olaf run?
St. Olaf’s city government spent $90,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $909 per resident. Water and other utilities ($22,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how St. Olaf is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $909 per resident a year, or $2.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$909 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
St. Olaf’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($909 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. St. Olaf spent more than 51% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($30,000), 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; St. Olaf itself left out).
No trend yet
St. Olaf reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,313 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% 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 St. Olaf’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 St. Olaf’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Olaf →
Who’s in charge in St. Olaf
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Central Community School District
St. Olaf’s K–12 school district, shared with Elkader, Elkport, Volga, Garber. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,104 per pupil, $8,330 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.
St. Olaf’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Olaf alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clayton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.7%6,255 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.2%3,017 votesOthers: 1.2% (109 votes).
Most votes in Clayton County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of St. Olaf lies in Clayton County. Every 2024 race in Clayton County is on the county’s page.
Clayton 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 St. Olaf.
- 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 St. Olaf’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Olaf’s government
How much does St. Olaf spend per resident?
About $909 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 $909 was more than 51% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Olaf?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,313 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% 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 St. Olaf’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. Olaf yet.
How did St. Olaf vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Olaf alone. Clayton County, where 100% of St. Olaf lies, voted Trump 66.7%, Harris 32.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Olaf?
0 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,315 (about $15,780 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Olaf in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Mike Klimesh) and State House District 64 (Jason Gearhart). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about St. Olaf’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 →