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Vail, IAPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Vail

Vail spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Vail’s city government spent $217,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $525 per resident. Water and other utilities ($67,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$217,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$525
In 2022: $525, less than 83% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$307,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
4
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $6,558
Typical tax bill
$987
1.12% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Vail is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $525 per resident, less than 83% of 802 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer49% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Ar-We-Va Community School District with 2 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $987 a year: 1.12% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
Compared with similar places

$525 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them

Vail’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($525 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. Vail spent less than 83% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($72,000), 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; Vail itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $525 per resident a year, or $1.44 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 24%Fees & charges 20%Utility sales 16%Interest, fines & other 13%Sales taxes 10%From the state 9%From the federal government 6%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $298,000.
About “Other”.36% of Vail’s day-to-day spending ($78,000) 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

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $987 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Vail$987
$987
typical bill a year
1.12%
effective rate
$87,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Vail

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 103 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 & buildings1 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
4
full-time
9
part-time
$6,558
payroll for March 2022
$78,696
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$12,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Vail had 9.7 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: Vail had more than 90% 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

Ar-We-Va Community School District

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

Schools in Vail →
$11,552
per pupil · IA $13,713
248
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $11,552 per pupil, $7,000 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 61%State 34%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Vail’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Crawford County’s results6,525 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.3%4,651 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat27.8%1,812 votes

Others: 1.0% (62 votes).

Most votes in Crawford County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Crawford 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 Vail

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Vail.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Steven Holt
  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 Vail’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Vail’s government

How much does Vail spend per resident?

About $525 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 $525 was less than 83% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Vail?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $987 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% 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 Vail’s government?

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

How did Vail vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Vail alone. Crawford County, where 100% of Vail lies, voted Trump 71.3%, Harris 27.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Vail?

4 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,558 (about $78,696 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Vail in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Jason Schultz) and State House District 12 (Steven Holt). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Vail’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 →