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Villisca National Guard ArmoryVillisca National Guard Armory · Photo: Vac4rcm2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Villisca

How is Villisca run?

Villisca’s city government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,025 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.2M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,025
In 2022: $1,025, more than 62% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$953,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $36,017
Typical tax bill
$1,592
2.07% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Villisca is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer64% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Villisca Community School District with 1 other town.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,592 a year: 2.07% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,025 per resident a year, or $2.81 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 39%Property taxes 14%Fees & charges 13%Interest, fines & other 10%From the federal government 10%From the state 7%Sales taxes 5%From other local governments 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $835,000; interest on debt $44,000; payments to other governments $734,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.2 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,025 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Villisca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,025 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. Villisca spent more than 62% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Villisca

Includes sewer and trash ($267,000), 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; Villisca itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,592 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.07% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Villisca$1,592
$1,592
typical bill a year
2.07%
effective rate
$77,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Villisca

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

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

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

Who works for Villisca

One full-time city employee for every 229 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 (1,143).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
5
full-time
8
part-time
$36,017
payroll for March 2022
$432,204
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$78,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Villisca had 4.4 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: Villisca had more than 64% 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

Villisca Community School District

Villisca’s elementary school district, shared with Nodaway. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Villisca →
$16,724
per pupil · IA $13,713
254
students
$4.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,724 per pupil, $8,311 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 54%State 42%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Villisca’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Montgomery County’s results5,061 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican68.9%3,486 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat29.8%1,508 votes

Others: 1.3% (67 votes).

Most votes in Montgomery County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Montgomery 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 Villisca

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Villisca.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: villisca.com ↗
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Tom Moore
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Tom Shipley
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Zachary Nunn
  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 Villisca’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitevillisca.com ↗

Questions about Villisca’s government

How much does Villisca spend per resident?

About $1,025 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 $1,025 was more than 62% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Villisca?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,592 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.07% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see villisca.com.

Who runs Villisca’s government?

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

How did Villisca vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Villisca alone. Montgomery County, where 100% of Villisca lies, voted Trump 68.9%, Harris 29.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Villisca?

5 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $36,017 (about $432,204 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Villisca in the state legislature?

State Senate District 9 (Tom Shipley) and State House District 18 (Tom Moore). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Villisca’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 →