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Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Minnesota Railroad Walker Station, Walker, IAPhoto: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Walker

Walker spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities

Walker’s city government spent $549,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $702 per resident. Water and other utilities ($102,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Iowa.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$549,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$702
In 2022: $702, less than 70% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.7M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $10,099
Typical tax bill
$2,298
1.33% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Walker is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$702 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them

Walker’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($702 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. Walker spent less than 70% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($175,000), 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; Walker itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $702 per resident a year, or $1.92 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 27%Property taxes 26%Utility sales 14%Sales taxes 12%From the state 8%From the federal government 5%From other local governments 5%Interest, fines & other 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $81,000; interest on debt $90,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $822,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,298 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Walker$2,298
$2,298
typical bill a year
1.33%
effective rate
$172,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Walker

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 156 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 (782).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash1
5
full-time
11
part-time
$10,099
payroll for March 2022
$121,188
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$21,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Walker had 6.4 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: Walker had more than 78% 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

North Linn Community School District

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

Schools in Walker →
$13,026
per pupil · IA $13,713
541
students
$11.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,026 per pupil, $7,677 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 50%State 47%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Walker’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Linn County’s results122,369 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat54.2%66,358 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican44.3%54,237 votes

Others: 1.4% (1,774 votes).

Most votes in Linn County: Kamala D Harris

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Linn 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 Walker

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Walker.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Walker’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Walker’s government

How much does Walker spend per resident?

About $702 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 $702 was less than 70% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Walker?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,298 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% 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 Walker’s government?

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

How did Walker vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Walker alone. Linn County, where 100% of Walker lies, voted Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Walker?

5 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,099 (about $121,188 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Walker in the state legislature?

State Senate District 42 (Charlie McClintock) and State House District 84 (Tom Gerhold). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Walker’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 →