Commercial Hotel · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainWapello spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Wapello’s city government spent $2.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,109 per resident. Water and other utilities ($314,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wapello is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,109 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Wapello’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,109 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. Wapello spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($383,000), 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; Wapello itself left out).
About $1,109 per resident a year, or $3.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wapello reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,804 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Wapello’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 Wapello’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wapello →
Who’s in charge in Wapello
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wapello’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwapello.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 167 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 (1,999).
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.
Wapello Community School District
Wapello’s K–12 school district, shared with Oakville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,250 per pupil, $10,094 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.
Wapello’s votes are counted by county
Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wapello alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Louisa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.8%3,584 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%1,480 votesOthers: 1.4% (72 votes).
Most votes in Louisa County: Donald J Trump
Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Wapello lies in Louisa County. Every 2024 race in Louisa County is on the county’s page.
Louisa 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 Wapello.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwapello.com ↗
- 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 Wapello’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wapello’s government
How much does Wapello spend per resident?
About $1,109 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 $1,109 was more than 68% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wapello?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,804 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwapello.com.
Who runs Wapello’s government?
See cityofwapello.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wapello yet.
How did Wapello vote in 2024?
Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wapello alone. Louisa County, where 100% of Wapello lies, voted Trump 69.8%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wapello?
12 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $63,572 (about $762,864 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wapello in the state legislature?
State Senate District 48 (Mark Lofgren) and State House District 95 (Taylor Collins). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wapello’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 →